Google to build subsea cables in Australia under new treaty

Google will build subsea cables under a mutual treaty with Australia.

Papua New Guinea said on Friday, December 12, 2025, that Alphabet’s company Google will build three subsea cables funded by Australia, in a key upgrade to the digital backbone of the biggest Pacific Island nation.

According to Reuters, Australian and U.S. military strategists view resource-rich but largely under-developed Papua New Guinea PNG as having a prized location north of Australia at a time when China is boosting its influence in the region.

PNG's acting minister for information and communications technology, Peter Tsiamalili said that $120 million effort will link northern and southern Papua New Guinea and the Bougainville autonomous region with high-capacity cables.

"The entire investment is funded through Australia's commitments under the Pukpuk Treaty,” Peter said in a statement, referring to the mutual defence pact signed in October 2025.

He informed that the project reflected both nations' shared commitment to advance digital security, regional stability and national development.

The statement said the subsea cables will be built by Google, adding that Peter Tsiamalili met Australian and U.S. diplomats to discuss the project at Google's Australian office this week.

The three international-grade subsea cables will cut reliance on single points of failure and position PNG to attract investment from hyper-scalers and global digital enterprises, said Peter.

It has been reported previously that Google planned to build a data hub on Australia's Indian Ocean outpost of Christmas Island, another strategic defence location.

Meanwhile, Google had also confirmed the Christmas Island data hub last month, saying two more cable systems would link it westwards with Africa and Asia to "deepen the resilience" of internet infrastructure."