Page 32 - IB May 2024

Telecom Feature

Continued from page 30 In an interview with Islands Business, Nathaniel Fick, US
Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy, noted:
their citizens, and businesses operating in their countries,” “The US is interested in every form of digital connectivity
she said. from undersea cables, and making sure that we have undersea
“I suggest that it may not matter to a Pacific leader cables in place that connect to as many of the islands as
whether China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, or someone possible, to data centres, as so many of our businesses and so
else funds a new undersea cable, as long as it is laid and much of our lives become digitally connected. Everything is
provides connectivity,” she said. throwing off more data. We need places for that data to be
stored and accessible.”
He says several thousand kilometres of these cables
are already laid. “The specific routing of the spurs to the
different islands will depend upon getting the branching units
“It may not matter to a Pacific leader whether China, in place that allow for the optionality of building a spur off
Japan, Australia, New Zealand, or someone else
funds a new undersea cable, as long as it is laid and the trunk cable to different islands. And so, we're interested
provides connectivity.” in working with the government of Fiji and with several
Dr Amanda Watson, Department of Pacific Affairs
Fellow at the Australian National University. other governments in the region, including the Japanese, the
Photo: Center for Indo-Pacific Affairs, University of Australians, New Zealand, Singapore, and others to try to get
Hawaii
the spurs funded.”
The United States Trade and Development Agency
(USTDA) in collaboration with Tuvalu Telecom, is currently

In the Indo-Pacific, undersea cables carry over 95% of
international data traffic, including telephone and data
communications. And new cable projects by public and
private donors, and businesses are looking to address the
Pacific Islands’ limited access. Motohiro Tsuchiya, Japanese Professor at Keio
In addition to Google’s announcement of the South Pacific University.
Photo: Center for Indo-Pacific Affairs, University of
Connect Initiative and Central Pacific Connect Initiative, Hawaii
the company has pledged US$1 billion to improve digital
connectivity between the US and Japan through two new
subsea cables, Proa and Taihei. Google said it will improve
connectivity between the two countries, as well as multiple
Pacific Island countries and territories such as the Northern
Marianas, Guam, and Hawaii. undertaking a US$1.1 million feasibility study to lay one of its
“In the contemporary setting of the Pacific Islands region, latest undersea cable systems - the Central Pacific Cable, a
there are still countries with no cable connectivity. There are 15,900-kilometre subsea cable between Guam and American
some countries with just one cable, other countries with two Samoa.
cables, and a small number of countries with more than two USTDA Director, Enoh T. Ebong confirmed that the feasibility
study will likely be completed early next year, telling Islands
Business: “The opportunity to bring connectivity to almost
400,000 people across 12 countries in the Pacific region is very
“If undersea cables are destroyed, this could bring important in terms of economic development and growth.
down systems of the country, even minor damage can “It is our hope that two things will happen. One, it's
cause significant disruption.” well designed and will attract financing. And the second
Kristi Govella, Director of the Centre of Indo-
Pacific Affairs, University of Hawai’i. thing is that, we expose our partners to the very best of US
Photo: Center for Indo-Pacific Affairs, University of technology, solutions, innovations that can help to implement
Hawaii
the project.”

Protecting cables
While these cable projects may create enormous
cables,” said Watson. opportunities, experts are concerned about protecting the
Neither Tuvalu nor Nauru have cable connectivity, although digital infrastructure.
they have been promised cable connectivity by donor Kristi Govella, Director of the Centre of Indo-Pacific Affairs
partners. at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, in a recent webinar
The United States has been working closely with Google and highlighted: “If undersea cables are destroyed, this could
other partners to accelerate the deployment of several major bring down systems of the country, even minor damage can
Pacific undersea cable projects. cause significant disruption.”

32 Islands Business, May 2024