Best Practice Toolkit: Subsea Telecommunications Cable Policy and Regulation in the Indo-Pacific – Read more
The Best Practice Toolkit is intended to support governments across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen the policy and regulatory frameworks that govern the planning, protection and management of subsea telecommunications cables. Developed by the Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre, the Toolkit consolidates international best practice and practical guidance drawing on examples from across the Indo-Pacific to support informed, real-world decision-making. The Best Practice Toolkit is for people working within government across the Indo-Pacific who are responsible for, or advise on, subsea telecommunications cable policy and regulation, including: policymakers and regulatorsofficials working across digital connectivity, telecommunications, infrastructure, security, and economic developmentstate-owned enterprises managing cable infrastructureThe Toolkit includes: Toolkit Overview – background information and instructions on how to use the Toolkit.Toolkit packs - 12 thematic packs, each focused on a specific aspect of subsea telecommunications cable policy or regulation, with core guidance and supplementary documents that provide additional detail, examples and context.The Toolkit Overview is available to download below, and to request access to thematic packs, please email the CCRC at undersea.cable@dfat.gov.au.
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The Role of Governments in Subsea Cable Repair: Views from the Indo-Pacific – Read more
Submarine cables carry almost all international data for the island nations of Oceania. As digital economies grow and dependence on connectivity deepens, this infrastructure is increasingly seen as a strategic asset for both socio-economic development and national security. The connectivity it provides is a public good, but the majority of the cables, and the system that repairs them are privately owned and commercially operated under maintenance agreements. Governments worldwide are asking what role they should play in ensuring cables can be reliably repaired when they fail, a question sharpened by a changing security environment and by cable fleet capacity pressures. This paper sets out what the commercial system in Oceania provides, where its limits sit, and a non-exhaustive list of options available to governments. The commercial system works under normal conditions. The great majority of cable faults are caused by fishing and anchoring and repair operators routinely service this need, usually under a maintenance agreement, at a balance of service level and cost for its customers. The interdependency between communication networks is an incentive for cooperation between competing system owners and by extension repair operators because each company's network depends on others for redundancy. There are several key factors that could disrupt current trends. The significant increase in cable kilometres planned for the region leaves an open question over whether fault numbers will rise in proportion. Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of natural hazards. Extreme natural disasters can create multi-fault events, and severe storm events can reduce the windows in which ships can safely operate to repair them. Hyperscaler-owned cables are now a significant and growing presence in the region, but how those owners interact with existing maintenance structures in the future is still taking shape. Two failure modes are worth separating. The first is slow repair under normal conditions when extended outages exceed what a country can absorb. Long Pacific Ocean transits cannot be designed out, but other components, including regulatory friction and fault reduction, can be addressed. The second is non-response or unavailability of a repair capability in a crisis, where the question is whether…
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Strengthening subsea cable resilience with ASEAN Member States – Read more
The Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre (CCRC), in partnership with Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), brought together ASEAN Member States in Singapore on 23–24 June for a workshop to promote subsea telecommunications cable protection, regulation and resilience. This built on earlier CCRC and IMDA collaboration to support the updating of ASEAN’s 2019 Guidelines for Strengthening Resilience and Repair of Submarine Cables. Subsea telecommunications cables carry around 99 per cent of international data traffic and form the backbone of the global digital economy. As demand for digital connectivity continues to grow, ensuring the resilience and protection of this infrastructure is now a priority for governments globally. The workshop provided a valuable opportunity for ASEAN Member States to review national approaches and international best practice on the management of secure and resilient cables. Participants exchanged experiences and discussed practical approaches to strengthen policy, regulatory and operational frameworks for subsea telecommunications infrastructure. CCRC also launched its Best Practice Toolkit, which provides practical guidance to governments across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen policy and regulation for planning, protecting and managing subsea telecommunications infrastructure. The CCRC looks forward to continuing its engagement with ASEAN Member States and IMDA to support secure and resilient connectivity across our region.
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Peak industry-led body highlights need for collaboration to protect global connectivity – Read more
The 2026 International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) Plenary brought together governments, industry and experts to advance collaboration on protecting global connectivity. Australia was represented by the Director of the Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre (CCRC), Nadia Krivetz, attending as a Government Observer. Held in Athens, Greece in April 2026, the 40th ICPC Plenary was themed ‘collaboration to protect global connectivity’ and focused on the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of critical subsea cable infrastructure. Ms Krivetz participated in a panel discussion on regulatory and policy approaches to strengthening subsea cable protection and resilience. The discussion highlighted the role of effective policy and regulatory settings to support the security, reliability and ongoing operation of global cable networks. The Plenary provided an excellent opportunity to engage with industry leaders and other Government Observers, to exchange views and share insights on emerging trends and best practice in subsea cable policy and protection. More information about the 2026 ICPC Plenary is available here, on the ICPC website.
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Australia hosts Indonesian delegation to strengthen subsea cable cooperation – Read more
The Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre (CCRC) hosted a study tour for officials from the Government of Indonesia’s National Team for the Management of Subsea Pipelines and/or Cables. The visit brought together Australian Government agencies to share views on end-to-end subsea telecommunications cable governance, including permitting, protection and resilience. Discussions covered planning, installation, operation and repair, coordination across government, critical infrastructure risk mitigation and incident response. Delegates also met with private sector operators to better understand their decision making and explore how government and industry work together to support secure and reliable connectivity.The study tour supported Indonesia’s ongoing efforts to streamline its permitting processes, enhance transparency and strengthen cable protection settings, consistent with international best practice. It also advanced discussions on the viability of new fibre optic subsea cable links between Australia and Indonesia.The CCRC looks forward to continuing its partnership with Indonesia’s National Team to enhance digital connectivity between Australia and Indonesia.
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Talanoa in Tonga to safeguard subsea cable connectivity – Read more
The Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre (CCRC) travelled to Tonga in February 2026 to participate in a Talanoa supporting the development of a regulatory framework to safeguard Tonga’s subsea telecommunications cables and ensure reliable connectivity for communities, businesses, and government.The Talanoa was held in partnership with the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications, and brought together representatives from across the Tongan Government, cable operators, and ocean management agencies.Discussions focused on local perspectives on risks to Tonga’s subsea cable infrastructure and explored practical and legislative measures to establish cable protection zones and supporting regulations. Participants also considered how such a framework could align with Tonga’s broader ocean management priorities while reflecting international best practice.Insights from the Talanoa will inform the development of policy, legislative, and regulatory arrangements for cable protection, in collaboration with the relevant government agencies and community groups.The CCRC looks forward to continuing its partnership with Tonga to advance these priorities and support resilient digital connectivity across the Pacific.
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CCRC attends the International Subsea Cable Resilience Summit – Read more
Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre (CCRC) Director Nadia Krivetz represented the Australian Government at the Second International Subsea Cable Resilience Summit, held in February 2026, in Portugal.The Summit brought together governments, regulatory authorities, industry leaders, investors, subsea cable experts and international organisations to address pressing challenges facing subsea telecommunications cable systems. Discussions focused on strengthening international cooperation and resilience in subsea cables by promoting best practice policy and regulation, streamlining cable permitting, maintenance and repair processes and encouraging enhanced cable protection. The Summit endorsed the Porto Summit Declaration, which sets out practical, non-binding guidance to strengthen international cooperation and enhance the resilience and protection of subsea cable infrastructure worldwide. The Declaration provides a shared framework to support governments and industry in responding to evolving risks and safeguarding global connectivity. The full Declaration is available here.
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Philippines progresses subsea cable protection – Read more
A workshop in the Philippines has marked a significant milestone in regulatory reform for subsea telecommunications cables and set the stage for the next phase of work. Hosted by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre (CCRC) in November 2025, the workshop looked at proposed reforms to strengthen the protection of the Philippines’ subsea telecommunications cables and simplify permitting processes for the installation and repair of cables to support the country’s growing connectivity needs. These proposed reforms build on analysis conducted through the Australian Government’s Partnerships for Infrastructure (P4I) program, which examined the Philippines’ subsea cable ecosystem, regulatory environment, and future market potential. Over the past year, CCRC has worked with DICT on guidance to implement a framework for the management and protection of subsea telecommunication cables in the Philippines. The DICT has progressed a regulatory pathway for submarine cable management, shared key analysis with the Office of the President, and initiated steps to establish a dedicated sub-committee on submarine cables within the National Maritime Council. Through this work, internal capacity across DICT has been strengthened, with staff now better equipped to implement and advocate for reforms across government. This work has helped position the Philippines as a regional leader on subsea cable resilience, aligning closely with ASEAN’s digital connectivity agenda as the country prepares to assume the ASEAN Chair in January 2026.The workshop marks another step in strengthening collaboration between Australia and the Philippines to enhance digital connectivity, resilience, and economic opportunity through well-coordinated infrastructure policy reform.
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