A senior official from the U.S. State Department has emphasized the imperative for Pacific Islands to bolster their digital security measures to qualify for connection to U.S.-backed undersea cables.
The official also cautioned against potential data vulnerabilities stemming from China.
Last year, the United States committed to co-finance two undersea cables, spearheaded by Google, linking Guam to key hubs in Fiji and French Polynesia, with extensions reaching across various remote Pacific Islands.
During his visit to Fiji, Nathaniel Fick, the U.S. Department of State's ambassador at large for cyberspace and digital policy, underscored the necessity for recipient nations to ensure end-to-end security within their digital infrastructures. Fick highlighted the exclusion of Chinese-built data centres or phone towers, citing concerns over trustworthiness.
Fick stressed that substantial investments in these digital nodes necessitate proactive risk mitigation efforts by recipient states. He asserted that adherence to stringent security protocols would be pivotal to foster long-term trust and attract sustained investments.
The proposed intra-Pacific cable initiative aims to extend connectivity to Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tuvalu, Fiji, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Wallis and Futuna, and the Federated States of Micronesia, contingent upon adherence to stringent security criteria set forth by the United States.