The governments of Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) have held talks on the potential construction of three new subsea cables, aiming to meet the Pacific Island nation’s growing demand for digital connectivity.
In a statement, PNG’s Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said it had sent a delegation to Canberra to engage with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) to seek potential support for the project.
DICT stated that if the subsea cables were built, they would significantly enhance PNG’s internet capacity, network redundancy, and regional digital integration—key priorities under the country’s digital transformation strategy.
Minister for Information and Communications Technology, Timothy Masiu, who led the delegation, said: “These cables are not just physical infrastructure - they are bridges for digital inclusion and economic opportunity. We are pursuing this initiative with urgency and shared strategic intent.”
The delegation also held discussions with major technology providers including Amazon Web Services, Oracle, and Australian telecoms and data centre firm Vocus, exploring the use of cloud and AI technologies to modernise government services.
