Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea – 11 December 2025 – The Government of Papua New Guinea has announced the launch of the Pukpuk Connectivity Initiative, a landmark bilateral digital infrastructure program delivered in partnership with the Government of Australia.
The Initiative will deliver new submarine cable systems to strengthen connectivity across Northern and Southern corridors of Papua New Guinea, including linkages to the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, significantly enhancing the country’s national digital backbone.
Supported through Australia’s infrastructure financing commitments, the investment of approximately USD 120 million (AUD 180 million) represents a major step forward in expanding resilient, high-capacity connectivity, while minimizing fiscal pressure on the Government of Papua New Guinea.
The Initiative is being coordinated by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), as the lead agency responsible for national digital infrastructure and policy, in collaboration with key partners across government and industry.
Building on existing submarine cable infrastructure, the new subsea systems will improve network redundancy, reliability, and overall service quality. This will reduce single points of failure, extend high-speed connectivity to underserved and remote areas, and support the development of a more inclusive and competitive digital economy.
Importantly, the Pukpuk Connectivity Initiative forms a foundational layer of Papua New Guinea’s broader Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) agenda. By strengthening core connectivity, it enables the effective rollout of national platforms such as Digital ID (SevisPass), data exchange (SevisDEx), and digital payments (SevisPay), ensuring that digital services can be securely and reliably delivered across the country.
The Initiative also aligns with the Pacific Regional E-commerce Strategy and Roadmap, particularly efforts to expand submarine cable infrastructure, improve affordability, and enhance access to reliable broadband. By strengthening national and regional connectivity, Papua New Guinea is contributing to the development of a more integrated and digitally empower Pacific economy.
More broadly, the Initiative reflects the deepening partnership between Papua New Guinea and Australia, and a shared commitment to advancing secure, resilient, and inclusive digital infrastructure as a driver of economic growth, service delivery, and regional cooperation.
Further details on implementation timelines and technical deployment will be provided as the project progresses through detailed design and delivery phases.
