Australia, Japan and the United States will be jointly funding an undersea cable that will enhance the internet capabilities of three Pacific Island nations.
The three countries are expected to work with the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, and Nauru, giving the necessary financial support that will help them achieve faster internet speeds and grow their internet connectivity.
In a joint statement between the six countries, which included Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Japan Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, it was mentioned that the new undersea cable will connect the three countries with the existing HANTRU-1 cable at Pohnpei (FSM).
The undersea cable is expected to provide faster, higher quality, and more reliable and secure internet communications to approximately 100,000 people across the three Pacific countries.
In turn, this will help increase their economic growth, drive development opportunities, and improve living standards as the Pacific Island nations recover from the pandemic.
“This will support increased economic growth, drive development opportunities, and help to improve living standards as the region recovers from the severe impacts of COVID-19,” the joint statement read.
“The joint infrastructure investment comes at a time of “unprecedented economic and strategic challenges in our region.”
Through the project, significant economic and social benefits can be utilised for sustainable development. It will also help increase the availability of digital government services and provide businesses and households with improved access to services, information and trade, and employment opportunities.
While the countries are moving to improve internet connectivity in the region, concerns have increased amid tensions between China and Taiwan.
As Chinese fighter jets continue to fly over Taiwan, while Defence Minister Peter Dutton said it was “inconceivable” that Australia would not support the United States in case of a war over the island.
The Australian Government’s support for the Pacific undersea cable is more than just an infrastructure investment.
The project builds on the strong foundations of trilateral collaboration between Australia, Japan, and the United States in the Indo-Pacific, representing an enduring partnership that delivers practical and meaningful solutions at a time of unprecedented economic and strategic challenges.
In the joint statement, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women Marise Payne stated that the project was a demonstration of the shared commitment to quality, transparent, fiscally sustainable, catalytic infrastructure partnerships with, and between, Pacific nations.
This six-country collaboration highlights the governments’ commitment to work together on critical telecommunications infrastructure and contribute to reliable and secure internet for the region.
The three countries will continue to coordinate closely with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to ensure this project complements investments by these institutions to enhance digital connectivity in FSM, Kiribati, and Nauru.
With AAP