Google to build subsea cables in Papua New Guinea

Google will build three subsea cables in Papua New Guinea (PNG), funded by Australia under the Pukpuk Treaty.

The US$120 million project will connect northern and southern PNG and the Bougainville region, improving digital infrastructure and reducing dependence on single points of failure.

Peter Tsiamalili said the investment is fully funded by Australia and discussed the project with Australian and US officials at Google’s Australian office.

Australian and US military planners consider PNG strategically important due to its location and rising Chinese influence.

The Pukpuk Treaty grants Australian defense personnel access to PNG’s communications systems.

Google has also confirmed plans for a data hub and new cable routes from Christmas Island to strengthen regional internet infrastructure.

🔗 Source: Reuters

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Australia seeks leverage through control of PNG connectivity

Australia is funding a US$120 million build of three subsea cables under the Pukpuk Treaty (a mutual defense pact between Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG)), with Google as the builder. The deal gives Australian defense personnel access to PNG communications systems, including satellite stations and cables. Links will connect northern PNG, southern PNG, and Bougainville with high-capacity routes that let Australia watch or shape data flows in a region where China has grown its footprint.
PNG DataCo, the state-owned backbone operator, runs more than 12,000 km of fiber and six international Points of Presence (POPs), including Sydney 1. The new routes will likely tie into this grid, while oversight by Australia could create dependencies that cut against PNG digital sovereignty. PNG has added capacity with the Coral Sea Cable at least 20 terabits per second (Tbps) since 2019 and the Kumul Submarine Cable Network with 8 Tbps across 14 provinces 2.

Edge operators can benefit from improved subsea reliability

New cables reduce single points of failure, which helps Content Delivery Network (CDN) providers and cloud edge operators not yet in PNG. PNG DataCo already peers with Tier 1 providers through six international POPs 1, and the Port Moresby Internet Exchange Point (IXP) is growing 2.
Neutral colocation and interconnection firms can set up early in Port Moresby, where PNG DataCo manages tied data centers 1. Carrier-neutral colocation is a third-party facility where many networks interconnect.
Before launch, edge operators can review power, cooling costs, then line up local partners. One option is Nexus, a managed services firm that provides connectivity, Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) backup, plus disaster recovery in PNG and Australian data centers 3.