Papua New Guinea’s Acting Minister for Information and Communications Technology, Hon. Peter Tsiamalili Jr., has officially announced the $120 million Pukpuk Connectivity Initiative that will deliver three new submarine cable systems to Papua New Guinea, strengthening the nation’s digital backbone with high-capacity connectivity to Northern Papua New Guinea, Southern Papua New Guinea and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
The project is being entirely funded through Australia’s commitments under the Pukpuk Treaty, a mutual defence treaty which recognises that an armed attack on either nation would be a danger to the peace and security of both.
The Minister emphasized that the initiative represents a direct implementation of the Pukpuk Treaty, reflecting the shared commitment of Papua New Guinea and Australia to advance digital security, regional stability, and national development.
Google, a global leader in subsea cable development, will play a central role in the rollout, as part of its broader Indo-Pacific cable deployment program.
The Pukpuk Connectivity Initiative will:
• Establish three international-grade subsea routes, reducing reliance on single points of failure
• Expand connectivity to underserved regions, including Bougainville
• Enhance the stability and quality of national telecommunications services
• Position Papua New Guinea to attract investment from hyper-scalers and global digital enterprises.
Tsiamalili said: “This investment is a major step forward for Papua New Guinea. The Pukpuk Connectivity Initiative lays the foundation for our country’s long-term digital growth and positions PNG to be a regional digital anchor.”
