ALL PACIFIC Islands Forum (PIF) member countries are now connected to the undersea telecommunications cables for the first time.
This announcement was made in Fiji during the PIF meeting this week.
This historic milestone driven by the Australian Government has helped delivered more than 10,300 kilometers of new undersea cables which now ensures every PIF member is connected to the global cable network.
Working alongside Pacific governments and development partners, Papua New Guinea’s closest neighbour, Australia who is a major bilateral partner in the Pacific, has helped support the undersea cable connectivity across the Pacific and Timor-Leste.
Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Penny Wong said for the first time, every Pacific Islands Forum member now has access to the digital infrastructure needed to participate fully in the modern economy, backed with Australian support.
“A more connected Pacific is a more resilient Pacific. This infrastructure strengthens economic growth, supports essential services and will help underpin a more peaceful, stable and prosperous region,” said Minister Wong.
Benefits of the undersea cables would see an increase in internet speed and lowest internet costs for internet users throughout the region.
Since 2018 Australia committed over $500 million to deliver cable projects across nine Pacific nations, including primary cable connections for Naoero, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Tarawa in Kiribati, and Kosrae in the Federated States of Micronesia.
Australia is also working with partners to strengthen the reliability and resilience of telecommunications infrastructure through support for second international cable connections in Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Palau and Solomon Islands.
Australian Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, Pat Conroy said faster, more affordable and more reliable digital services will help integrate our economies, making it easier for Pacific peoples and businesses to connect, and investment to flow across the region.
“With new connections comes greater opportunities, better information flows and knowledge sharing, supporting Pacific Island countries to fully participate in the global economy,” said Minister Conroy”
A more connected Pacific advances the shared interests by PIF Members. It strengthens regional resilience, supports economic development and deepens connections between PIF member countries and their people.
The years of work put in by the Australian government is appreciated by PIF member countries.
These investments are being delivered in partnership with Japan, New Zealand, and the United States, as well as Taiwan.
They will help connect Pacific governments, businesses, communities and peoples to global networks and digital markets, opening new opportunities for trade, investment, innovation and economic participation.
Meanwhile Papua New Guinea has entered into a separate connectivity agreement with Australia under the Pukpuk Treaty which will see the delivery of three new submarine cables to Papua New Guinea.
Known as the Pukpuk Connectivity, the new subsea systems will provide high-capacity connectivity to the Northern part of Papua New Guinea, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, and the Southern end of Papua New Guinea.
This was announced by PNG’s then ICT Minister, Peter Tsiamalili in December of 2025.
The Pukpuk Connectivity Initiative has as its objectives to;
– Establish three new international-grade subsea routes, reducing reliance on single points of failure;
– Expand access to underserved regions, including Bougainville;
– Improve the stability and quality of national telecommunications; and
– Attract investment for hyper-scalers to deploy in PNG.
