Joint Media Statement: Australia (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), Federated States of Micronesia (Department of Transportation, Communications and Infrastructure), Japan (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Republic of Kiribati (Ministry of Information Communications and Transport), Republic of Nauru (Department of Communications), United States of America (US Agency for International Development).
Representatives from Australia, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Japan, Kiribati, Nauru and the United States of America met today to push forward the delivery of the East Micronesia Cable project.
This project, supported by Australia, Japan and the United States, will build an undersea cable to connect the state of Kosrae in FSM, Tarawa in Kiribati, and Nauru to the existing HANTRU-1 cable, located in Pohnpei, FSM. The East Micronesia Cable will provide faster, higher quality and more reliable and secure communications, connecting more than 100,000 people across these three Pacific countries.
Senior representatives from the six countries met face-to-face for the first time at the biannual Project Executive Board meeting in Canberra on 8 March 2023. During the meeting they reaffirmed their commitment to delivering this transformational project and discussed important steps to finalise the marine cable construction contract. Once signed, this contract will signify the beginning of implementation.
The East Micronesia Cable project demonstrates Australia, Japan and the United States’ commitment to support FSM, Kiribati, and Nauru’s Sustainable Development Goals through effective partnerships. This ambitious project will advance economic resilience, drive development opportunities, and improve living standards through improved telecommunications connectivity, bringing the Micronesian region closer together, as well as closer to the rest of the world.
Officials will conclude their visit with a tour of a Cable Landing Station in Sydney, where they will view the operational infrastructure and technology that will be implemented in their respective countries under the project. The six-country collaboration highlights the commitment to maximising the region’s stability, security and prosperity, and the countries will continue to work together on telecommunications infrastructure projects that support long term social and economic growth.
