News
Tuvalu leads the way in protecting its first undersea cable – Read more
Tuvalu’s first undersea telecommunications cable — the Vaka Cable — is now live, marking a major milestone in the country’s digital transformation. The cable will deliver more reliable and affordable internet across Tuvalu, improving digital access and inclusion.The USD 56 million (AUD 80 million) project is supported by the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP), which has contributed up to USD 37 million (AUD 53 million), alongside partners including Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, the United States and Google.To help safeguard the cable, the Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre (CCRC) is working with Tuvalu counterparts to develop a locally led cable protection framework, ensuring systems and practices are in place to protect this critical infrastructure.In June 2025, the CCRC convened a talanoa with government representatives, Tuvalu Telecom and technical experts. Co-chaired by Permanent Secretary Simalua Enele Taliu and Tuvalu Telecom CEO Tenanoia Simona, the session produced practical recommendations now being incorporated into the framework. The CCRC looks forward to continuing its partnership with Tuvalu on these digital priorities.
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Workshops explore the futures of undersea cables across the Indo-Pacific – Read more
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.
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Solomon Islands, Nauru and Tuvalu strengthen ties through cable knowledge exchange – Read more
In May 2025, the Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre supported a study tour to the Solomon Islands Submarine Cable Company (SISCC) for representatives from Nauru Fibre Cable (NFC) and Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation (TTC).Both Nauru and Tuvalu landed their first international cables this year. The tour provided an opportunity to learn how SISCC successfully manages the Coral Sea Cable System and the Solomon Islands Domestic Network.SISCC conducted a tour of the cable landing station and guided participants through day-to-day operations and infrastructure management, including monitoring systems, maintenance practices, and measures to support cable protection.This was a valuable opportunity to share experiences and knowledge across the Pacific on the development, management, and protection of undersea cables.The visit came at a good time, with both NFC and TTC preparing to operationalise their first international cable systems.A big thank you to SISCC for hosting and facilitating this successful visit.
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Regional regulators connect to strengthen telecommunications resilience – Read more
Officials from across the region, including Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste, took part in a Telecommunications and Radiocommunications Training Program (TRTP) held in Melbourne, Australia, aimed at strengthening regional capacity and cooperation in telecommunications regulation.The training was delivered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT), the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA), and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), with support from the Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre (CCRC).Held from 25–27 November 2024, the TRTP brought together 33 delegates from 14 Pacific Island countries and territories, as well as Timor-Leste. The sessions fostered knowledge exchange, technical skill development and stronger regional partnerships among telecommunications regulators and policymakers.Discussions covered key topics such as telecommunications network resilience, wireless broadband, satellite technologies, subsea cable policy and spectrum management. The TRTP also created valuable opportunities for Australian agencies and regional counterparts to share experiences, strengthen ties, and explore solutions to common telecommunications and radiocommunications challenges.By connecting regulators and policymakers from across the region, the TRTP contributed to a shared goal of building a more resilient and connected Indo-Pacific—one where improved communication systems help support growth, inclusion and prosperity across all communities.The CCRC’s participation in the TRTP reflects its ongoing commitment to building technical and policy capacity across the region to strengthen undersea cable resilience.
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Launch of the Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre – Read more
Today, Australia is launching a new Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre, to help ensure undersea cable networks in the Indo-Pacific are resilient and all countries can benefit from reliable connectivity and the growth of the digital economy.This work is integral to the prosperity and security of our region. From emails to e-commerce, accessing news, social media and streaming content, we rely on a vast network of undersea cables, which carry over 95 per cent of international data traffic.Australia will invest more than $18 million over the next four years in the Centre, which will draw on our extensive undersea telecommunications cables expertise and experience to:Provide technical assistance and training across the Indo-Pacific.Commission research and analysis to support Indo-Pacific governments with policy development, regulations and decision-making regarding undersea cables.Share information and host dialogues to strengthen engagement between Indo-Pacific governments and industry.The Centre is an important Australian contribution to the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience, which is an important demonstration of the Quad's delivery in the region, responding to the Indo-Pacific's most pressing challenges.The Centre is a whole of Australian Government initiative, embedded within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
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