The PNG Government has signed a deal with the Australian Government for a trilateral project to deliver the Coral Sea Cable System.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed recently in Port Moresby.
According to both governments, this new Cable System will better connect Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Australia through the installation of undersea telecommunication cables.
The project will enable high speed internet capability to PNG, resulting in significant improvements to internet reliability and quality.
The new system hopes to enable local businesses to access new opportunities in the region and globally, and provide opportunities to leverage technology to deliver improved government services.
This, Australia says, will result in substantial economic and development opportunities for Papua New Guinea.
At the signing event in Port Moresby to confirm arrangements with the Department of National Planning and Monitoring, Australia’s High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Bruce Davis, said the new cable system emphasizes Papua New Guinea’s efforts to promote economic integration in the Pacific in its 2018 APEC host year, and to foster domestic growth opportunities.
The Coral Sea Cable System is scheduled for completion by the end of 2019.
Australia will fund the majority of the project, with Papua New Guinea to provide an important co-contribution.
Solomon Islands will also provide a contribution as a partner in this trilateral project.