Google Will Build Three Underwater Cables In Papua New Guinea With Australian Funds
JAKARTA Papua New Guinea announced that Google will build three new submarine cables in its territory. The project will be funded by Australia through a joint defense agreement.
"All of this investment (is) funded through Australia's commitment based on the Pupuk Agreement," said Acting Minister of Information and Communication Technology Papua New Guinea, Peter Tsiamalili, quoted by VOI euters on Friday, December 12.
The Pukpuk Agreement is an international defense agreement signed by Australia and Papua New Guinea in October 2025. Through this project, the two countries are committed to advancing digital security.
According to Tsiamalili, the project will support regional stability and national development. Tsiamalili has met with Australian and US diplomats to discuss the project at the Australian Google office.
This big project is worth $120 million. The three cables will connect the northern and southern regions of Papua New Guinea. In addition, the autonomous area of Bougainville will also be connected to this high-capacity cable.
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Before deciding on this development, Australian and US military strategists have considered Papua New Guinea a country with a strategic location. This development is expected to increase connectivity in all countries that join the project.
Apart from Papua New Guinea, Google also plans to build a data center on Christmas Island, Australia's outpost in the Indian Ocean. The submarine cable project will connect Christmas Island to the east with cities in Australia.
The company will use two cables to connect Christmas Island data centers with Africa and Asia. The addition of cables at this center will expand the resilience of internet infrastructure.