The development of submarine cable is the latest funding commitment from Western allies in the Pacific telecommunications sector.

The United States and Australia will jointly fund the construction of an undersea cable to increase Internet access in three small Pacific countries, while Western allies seek to contain the growing Chinese influence in the region, reported Voa.

Western allies said they would develop the cable to provide faster internet for Nauru, Kiribati, and Federated States of Micronesia.

“This will support increased economic growth, boost development opportunities and help improve living standards as the region recovers from the severe impacts of COVID-19,” a joint statement from the United States, Japan, and Australia said.

The three allies did not specify how much the project will cost.

The development of submarine cable is the latest funding commitment from Western allies in the Pacific telecommunications sector.

The United States and its Indo-Pacific allies are concerned that cables placed by the People’s Republic of China could compromise regional security. Beijing has denied any intention to use commercial fiber-optic cables, which have much greater data capacity than satellites, for eavesdropping.

Australia in 2017 spent around A 137 million USD to develop better internet access for the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.

Source: with agencies