Google will build three subsea cables in Papua New Guinea as part of plans to upgrade the digital backbone of the biggest Pacific Island nation.

The build-out of the subsea cables will be funded by Australia under a mutual defense treaty, confirmed the Papua New Guinea government.

As reported by Reuters, Australia and US military strategists have identified the island nation as a prized location north of Australia, as China is boosting its influence in the region.

"The entire investment (is) funded through Australia's commitments under the Pukpuk Treaty," said Peter Tsiamalili, PNG's acting minister for information and communications technology.

Tsiamalili notes that the $120 million Pukpuk Connectivity Initiative will connect northern and southern Papua New Guinea and the Bougainville autonomous region with high-capacity cables.

He adds that Google will build the subsea cables, noting that the cables will cut reliance on single points of failure, and enable Papua New Guinea to attract investment from hyper-scalers and global digital enterprises.

It's part of a pact between Papua New Guinea and Australia, called the Pukpuk Treaty, which gives Australian defense personnel access to PNG communications systems, including satellite stations and cables.

The treaty was signed in October. The word Pukpuk means "crocodile" in PNG pidgin, and symbolizes the agreement's strong bite and commitment.

The treaty aims to support the sovereignty of PNG, and for both countries to secure their mutual defense and security interests and contribute to regional stability and security, by strengthening and expanding defense cooperation through enhanced capability, interoperability, and integration.

Two international subsea cables currently link Papua New Guinea. The country is a landing point for the Coral Sea Cable System (CS²) and PIPE Pacific Cable-1 (PPC-1) cable systems – linking the island to Australia, the Solomon Islands, and Guam – and is set to host the Hawaiki Nui 1 cable that will link Australia to Singapore via Indonesia. A number of domestic subsea cables also connect the island.

Kacific and SES provide satellite services to Papua New Guinea through Tiekom, Digicel, and Vodafone PNG.