Governments, industry leaders and technical experts from across the Indo-Pacific came together through a series of regional workshops in Singapore, New Delhi and Melbourne to explore how undersea cable networks could evolve to meet the region’s future connectivity needs.
Using scenario-based planning, participants examined how social, environmental and economic factors might shape the region’s digital infrastructure by 2045, and what steps were needed to strengthen resilience.
The workshops formed part of the Futures of Undersea Cables initiative, led by the Tech Policy Design Institute. The project was delivered in collaboration with the ANU National Security College Futures Hub and the Tech for Good Institute and supported by the Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre (CCRC).
The project aimed to encourage thinking beyond current issues and consider how undersea cable requirements may change over the coming decades, as a means to identify opportunities for governments and industry to work together to ensure future connectivity and protection.
Across the three workshops, participants explored diverse perspectives on the challenges of growing data demand, investment needs, and the potential role of emerging technologies such as satellite networks. The sessions also examined best-practice approaches in technical assistance, research and policy analysis, and knowledge sharing—laying the groundwork for stronger cable protection frameworks and improved regional cooperation.
The findings from the workshops have resulted in the report, Beneath the Surface: Critical Connections and Regional Futures, which presents a multimedia Cables Futures Toolkit to empower stakeholders and enable engaging and constructive dialogue across the region recommendations for strengthening cable resilience across the Indo-Pacific.