Australia to launch undersea cable centre for Indo-Pacific nations

This photo taken in June 2022 shows an operation underway to lay undersea cables in Palau.

Australia announced on Monday the launch of a new organization to provide technical assistance for undersea telecommunications cable networks in Indo-Pacific countries, aiming to curb China’s growing influence in the region.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced that Australia will invest over AU$18 million ($11.8 million) over the next four years in the Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre as part of a collaboration with Japan, India and the United States to strengthen the region’s cable systems.

The announcement comes as the foreign ministers from the Quad grouping met in Tokyo.

The rollout of such cables to Pacific island nations has become a key area of strategic competition between Western nations and China in recent years to gain influence in the Pacific. Undersea cables carry over 95 percent of international data traffic, according to the statement.

“This work is integral to the prosperity and security of our region,” Wong said in the statement amid threats such as cyberattacks and illegal access to data.

Australia, which will draw on its expertise in undersea telecommunications cables, will also provide technical training and facilitate information sharing and dialogues between regional governments, she said.