US, Australia and Japan to fund subsea cable between Nauru, Kiribati and Federated States of Micronesia

The United States, Australia, and Japan have committed to funding a new subsea cable to connect the Pacific island nations of Nauru, Kiribati, and Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). The new cable will connect the island containing Kirbati’s capital with Nauru and the island of Kosrae in FSM, before connecting with the Hantru-1 cable at the island of Pohnpei in FSM.

The six nations released a joint statement indicating the subsea cable would improve connectivity for 100,000 people across the three Pacific nations. The statement said “We will continue to coordinate closely with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to ensure this project complements investments by these institutions to enhance digital connectivity in FSM, Kiribati, and Nauru.”