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Enhancing Subsea Telecom Resilience in Tonga, Palau, and South-Pacific SIDS
Implementing Partner: National Oceanography Centre (NOC)
Project name: Enhancing resilience of critical subsea telecommunications connections for Tonga, Palau and other South Pacific Small Island Developing States
The project will build a critical evidence base for resilient digital communications, strengthening economic growth and regional development.
It will assess climate change risks to digital infrastructure and analyze the socio-economic advantages of network diversity as South Pacific nations receive a second international cable.
The project will conduct the first study on internet resilience and its role in advancing UN Sustainable Development Goals, providing key insights for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the region.
Lead agencies: Ministry of Lands, Survey, Planning, and Natural Resources, Tonga
Ministry of Public Infrastructure & Industries, Palau
Impact
1
The project will strengthen telecom resilience in Tonga, Palau, and South Pacific SIDS by assessing climate risks to subsea cables, identifying emerging hazards, and developing mitigation strategies to prevent costly service disruptions.
2
Enhanced connectivity will drive economic growth, with improved internet access projected to contribute over USD 5 billion to Pacific GDP and generate 300,000 jobs by 2040, particularly benefiting young people.
3
The initiative will align with the Sendai Framework by strengthening disaster risk governance, improving risk assessments, and investing in resilient infrastructure to safeguard long-term connectivity and economic stability.
