Alphabet’s Google is set to construct three subsea internet cables across Papua New Guinea (PNG) in a project financed by Australia under the recently ratified Pukpuk Treaty, a bilateral defence agreement between Canberra and Port Moresby. The initiative represents both a strategic infrastructure investment and a geopolitical statement within the wider Indo Pacific region.
Peter Tsiamalili, Papua New Guinea’s acting Minister for Information and Communications Technology, confirmed that the USD 120 million project will connect northern and southern regions of the country as well as the autonomous region of Bougainville. Speaking from Sydney, Tsiamalili described the project as emblematic of a “shared commitment to digital resilience and regional stability.” The project will be implemented by Google, with Australia providing the financial backing under the framework of its defence cooperation commitments.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs stated that the cables would improve affordability and access to high speed internet for consumers, stimulate investment and enhance educational opportunities. The initiative forms part of Australia’s continuing efforts to develop critical digital infrastructure across the Pacific.
The Pukpuk Treaty, signed in October 2025, provides Australia with access to Papua New Guinea’s communication systems including satellite and submarine cable facilities. The United States, a signatory to related regional defence frameworks, has also expanded its military cooperation with PNG, reflecting broader strategic interests in the South Pacific.
Observers note that the project comes amid an ongoing contest for technological influence in the Pacific between Western nations and China. Australia and the United States have previously co financed subsea cable networks in the Solomon Islands and Timor Leste, aiming to provide alternatives to Chinese financed projects. PNG’s existing domestic cable infrastructure, completed in 2018, was built by Huawei and funded through a loan from China’s EXIM Bank.
Australian officials have committed over AUD 450 million to enhance undersea connectivity across the Pacific and Timor Leste. Canberra is also expected to fund a new international cable linking PNG to Australia as part of its broader regional digital policy.
Google’s involvement underscores the growing overlap between corporate technology ambitions and geopolitical interests. The company recently announced plans to build a data hub on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, with new cable systems to reinforce regional network resilience by connecting Australia with Asia and Africa.
For Papua New Guinea, the new cables are anticipated to position the nation as an emerging node for global data flow and digital investment. Tsiamalili suggested that improved connectivity could attract major technology companies and investors, potentially reshaping PNG’s economic landscape.
While framed as a technological development project, the cables also represent a strategic infrastructure effort within an increasingly militarised information environment. Analysts argue that such projects may set precedents for digital sovereignty discussions across the Global South, including Africa, where infrastructure partnerships are often shaped by competing global powers.
From a broader perspective, this initiative illustrates how digital infrastructure is becoming a central component of twenty first century diplomacy. For African policymakers, the Pacific example raises questions about balancing national development needs with geopolitical alignments in an era where connectivity, security, and sovereignty are deeply interlinked.
