Google to lay undersea cables in Papua New Guinea

Sydney, AustraliaInternet giant Google will lay three undersea cables in Papua New Guinea as part of a landmark defence deal the Pacific nation signed...

Sydney, AustraliaInternet giant Google will lay three undersea cables in Papua New Guinea as part of a landmark defence deal the Pacific nation signed with Australia this year.

The $120 million project, to be funded by Australia, will create "a more resilient, multi-route digital backbone for the nation", the island nation said in a statement.

"This investment is a major step forward for Papua New Guinea," the country's Minister for Information and Communications Technology Peter Tsiamalili Jr said this week.

He added the cables -- providing connectivity to northern and southern parts of Papua New Guinea, as well as the autonomous region of Bougainville -- will lay the foundation for the country to become a "regional digital anchor".

Tsiamalili said he met with Australian and US diplomats this week to discuss the project at Google's Sydney office and the company's "role as a partner for the submarine cable rollout".