Telstra Pacific Islands Telecommunications Strategy Forum (PITA) keynote address

I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet, the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, and pay my respect to their Elders, past and present.

Thank you to the Pacific Islands Telecommunication Association and to Telstra for convening this forum, and for inviting me to speak to this select group.

The work that PITA members do – to improve, promote, enhance, facilitate and provide connectivity in the Pacific – has never been more important.

As someone who has previously worked in the industry, I had a bit of experience with subsea cable rollouts before entering parliament.

Since then, I have followed the industry closely as it has risen to become an indispensable part of the lives of billions around the world, with significant social, economic and security implications – thanks to the work of many of you.

Digitalisation and connectivity are now major economic development priorities for many nations in our Pacific region.

We can be seen as distant and isolated from the global economic system.

Connecting the Blue Continent to the digital infrastructure of the 21st century connects it with the global economy and all of the opportunities for growth that entails.

Greater connectedness also means improved livelihoods due to increased access to education, healthcare, e-commerce and communication.

As countries seek to move towards a digital economy, dependence on critical digital infrastructure continues to increase…

… and we are seeing new technologies entering markets and providing solutions to improve our digital connectivity.

The solutions range from submarine cables, to cloud based data storage solutions through to the promise of regional connectivity from low earth orbit satellites.

Increasing adoption of these technologies will ensure countries are digitally connected and increase their economic prosperity.

But the adoption of these technologies also introduces significant vulnerabilities.

The economic gains offered through greater digitisation expose us to new risks and threats.

There are cybercrime threats, like ransomware and data breaches…

… and there are also risks posed by the potential for natural disasters and climate change to damage critical digital infrastructure.

Most recently we saw Tonga without internet connection for more than two weeks after its only submarine cable was damaged in an earthquake.

Like many of our regional partners, Australia and Australians have been the victims of significant cyberattacks.

We are concerned by the increasing prevalence and scale of ransomware and cybercrime activities targeting Pacific Island Countries.

In 2024, we know there are a lot of malicious actors out there.

We see an increase in state-sponsored cyber actors prepositioning themselves on IT networks for disruptive or destructive cyberattacks against critical infrastructure…

…such as communications, energy, transport and water.

We want to see our region capitalise on the opportunities presented by digitisation and connectivity, while managing and preparing against corresponding risks and threats.

This is why the Australian Government is actively promoting secure, resilient and reliable connectivity and cyber security across the Indo-Pacific.

The Foreign Minister has said many times, we face the most challenging strategic circumstances of the post-war period.

There are major changes reshaping the world.

Climate change.

Technological innovation and disruption.

Geostrategic competition.

These circumstances demand Australia to work closely with others to shape the kind of region we want.

A region that is peaceful, stable and prosperous.

A region that operates according to agreed rules, norms and international law, where sovereignty is respected and where individual countries are free to make their own choices.

A region where no country dominates, and no country is dominated.

We cannot achieve a region with these attributes by ourselves, and it is only becoming more challenging.

How we work together to meet our shared challenges today will have a great effect on future generations.

The Albanese Government has been hard at work implementing our vision for stronger engagement with the Pacific, with our nearest neighbours.

The Foreign Minister has been very clear:

We will work with [our Pacific partners] to make our Pacific Family even stronger.

We will listen.

At every step we will be guided by Pacific priorities.

Australia wants to be the partner of choice for countries in the Pacific...

… and we are seeking to do so by making a uniquely Australian contribution – by reliably turning up, listening, and being transparent and open.

We are being an honest partner on the issues our Pacific Family cares about – working together to respond to our shared challenges, including climate and economic development.

Which is why forums like this one are increasingly important.

PITA is a great forum for us to hear from Pacific Island Countries and industry on the telecommunication needs in the region and on emerging issues.

The opportunity to be the only partner of choice in the Pacific was lost to us over the previous decade.

We are now investing more than ever in the Pacific.

Australia is boosting our support in multiple areas, working to help our partners become more economically resilient, develop critical infrastructure and provide their own security – including by supporting work in the telecommunications sector and building cyber resilience.

All countries now aspire for secure, reliable and affordable digital connection for their populations – and this is a clear priority across in the Pacific.

Last year, I announced the establishment of Pacific Cyber Rapid Assistance for Pacific Incidents and Disasters (RAPID) teams.

These teams comprise of representatives from a range of government agencies and the private sector, and are tasked with helping to respond to cyber crises in the Pacific when Pacific governments request assistance.

Australia’s Cyber and Critical Tech Cooperation Program has been designed to help countries in the Indo-Pacific maximise the opportunities, and mitigate the risks, related to cyberspace and critical technologies…

… and to enhance resilience in the region.

Improved technology and connectivity is one of the ambitions of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific continent – and reflected in the Lagatoi Declaration on the Digital Transformation of the Pacific.

This is why Australia is working closely with Pacific Island Countries to invest in undersea telecommunications cables.

Australia has committed in excess of $350 million to support undersea cable connectivity in the Pacific and Timor-Leste since 2018.

Our work on undersea cables started in earnest with our investment in the Coral Sea Cable – connecting Australia with Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.

This investment was a precursor to the establishment of the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP), which has drastically improved our ability to deliver undersea cables and other critical infrastructure across the region.

Our work to support Pacific nations’ efforts to achieve reliable, quality connectivity includes:

• the Palau ECHO Branch system, a USD31 million project co-funded by Australia, the United States and Japan that will come online next year;
• the East Micronesia Cable, serving Kosrae in the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati and Nauru, an AUD135 million project supported by Australia, Japan and the United States, will also become operational next year;
• the Tuvalu Branch system, a USD56 million project funded by Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan and the United States, that will be ready for service in 2025; and
• also next year, the Tonga Hawaiki Branch system, an AUD49 million project co-funded by Australia and New Zealand, will also come online.

These sustained Australian investments through the AIFFP and alongside likeminded partners, will position all Pacific Island Countries to achieve primary undersea cable connectivity by the end of next year – as well as expand critical redundancy.

The Australian Government is pleased to be delivering this significant backbone of connectivity across the region – but we recognise it is only one part of broader connectivity.

End-to-end connectivity is an increasing focus area of our development program across the region, including investment in terrestrial infrastructure, cyber and telecommunications networks.

The Australian Government’s support for the acquisition of Digicel Pacific is an example of this.

It is also important that policies and regulations keep up with the pace of technological development – to ensure citizens can use these technologies in a safe and secure way.

That is why we have established the Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre, which will work with governments and industry across the entire Indo-Pacific to support the reliability and resilience of undersea cables – with a focus on policies and regulation.

Australia is committed to partnering with our Pacific partners to maximise the opportunities, and address the threats, raised by the region’s growing digital connectivity.

We want a Pacific-led approach to prioritising cyber resilience needs and existing capacity building efforts.

We want to continue to partner with Pacific Island Countries and help build out a secure, resilient, and reliable digital ecosystem for the Pacific in the long-term - including working on areas such as digital ID, digital safety, cloud technology, data management and more.

The complexity and scale of the needed investment means that we will have to continue to work bilaterally, through multilateral institutions, and with like-minded partners…

… including with Japan and the United States through the Trilateral Infrastructure Partnership and the Quad.

Our partnerships with the private sector will also be vital.

We appreciate what industry does to improve connectivity across the region – and we are keen to continue to collaborate with you to solve the region’s challenges.

I commend PITA for exploring these significant telecommunications issues in the Pacific – addressing them will be a big part of helping to build the peaceful, stable and prosperous region of our future.

Thank you.

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Acknowledgments

• PITA President and CEO Telecom Cook Islands, Phil Henderson
• MC and Head of Carrier Telstra International, Joseph Chidiac