The United States, Australia, and Japan have announced they will provide funding for a submarine cable to improve the Internet access for island countries Kiribati, Nauru, and the Federated States of Micronesia.
In a joint statement by the three Western allies, the cable will bring economic growth, development opportunities, and improved living standards. An estimated 100,000 people will benefit from better connectivity as they recover from the impact of the global health crisis.
The new cable will connect Kosrae, Nauru, and Tarawa and add them to the HANTRU-1 cable system. This will be the first time these islands get internet connectivity via submarine cable.
The funding commitment is among the latest from Western allies in the telecommunications infrastructure in the Pacific. It’s also seen as a counter to China, whose state-funded companies have also taken great interest in laying undersea cables across the Pacific. The US fears cables laid by China could be used for spying, which China denies.
Source: State.Gov