Google to Construct Subsea Cables Connecting US and Australia, Extending Internet Access to Pacific Islands

Funded by U.S. and Australia, the Subsea Cables Project Collaborates with Local Providers to Improve Internet Resilience amid Chinese Influence Concerns

Google will construct two subsea cables, named Tabua and Honomoana, which will connect the US and Australia through Fiji and French Polynesia, improving the resilience of subsea cables in the Asia Pacific region.
The project, which will be funded largely by Australia with $50 million, also involves a $5 million cash commitment from the US and an additional provision of $10 million for future developments.
As part of the project, Google will collaborate with Fiji International Telecommunications, the Office of Posts and Telecommunications of French Polynesia, AP Telecom, and Vocus Group.
The network will include pre-positioned branching units which will provide a means to extend the network to Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
Beyond providing economic and connectivity benefits, the subsea cables project aims to prevent the spread of Chinese influence in the region especially in the sphere of telecommunications, with a backdrop of geopolitical tension between China and the US.