Australia and Papua New Guinea Forge Stronger Digital Future Together

His Excellency Ewen McDonald, Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea and Special Envoy for Pacific and Regional Affairs, delivered a landmark address at the Digital Transformation Summit 2025, underscoring Australia’s enduring partnership with PNG in advancing digital transformation, cybersecurity resilience, and regional connectivity.

McDonald commended Papua New Guinea’s leadership in convening the Pacific ICT Ministerial Dialogues and driving the Lagatoi Declaration, a unifying framework for a Smart Pacific. He highlighted PNG’s role in shaping regional priorities, including the Pacific ICT and Digital Transformation Action Plan and a governance framework that integrates ICT dialogue into the Pacific Islands Forum architecture. These initiatives, he said, amplify the Pacific’s collective influence in global decision-making. He also praised PNG’s progress toward acceding to the Budapest Convention and the Hanoi Convention, strengthening its voice in international discussions on cybercrime and cybersecurity.

Announcing new initiatives, McDonald revealed Australia’s support for a national cyber exercise under the Cyber Rapid Program, led by trusted partner CyberCX. This exercise will provide practical training for government and business participants to respond to cyber threats, moving beyond theory to hands-on preparedness. He also announced a pilot of a Protective Domain Name System (PDNS) in PNG, designed to block malicious websites and phishing attempts. Citing Australia’s success in blocking 334 million malicious attempts in 2024 and the United States’ 20 billion blocks in 2023, McDonald emphasized the importance of such protective systems in safeguarding national security and economic stability.

Australia’s partnership with PNG also extends to major infrastructure investments. McDonald highlighted support for Telstra’s acquisition of Digicel in 2022, ensuring competitiveness and accessibility in PNG’s telecommunications market. He noted Digicel’s contribution of over 2 billion kina in taxes over the past decade, while stressing the need for continued investment in resilient telecommunications systems. Since 2018, Australia has invested more than AUD 2.6 billion in PNG’s digital and telecommunications infrastructure, including the Coral Sea Cable System, which proved vital in maintaining connectivity during the recent Lae earthquake.

Looking ahead, McDonald confirmed joint work on a National Digital Infrastructure Network Blueprint, designed to build a secure, connected, and future-ready digital nation. He also announced collaboration on cloud-based data solutions to improve cyber resilience and expand digital government services. Australia has already invested 54 million kina in PNG’s cyber capability programs since 2018 and is working toward a new ministerial-level agreement on digital development, ICT, and cybersecurity.

McDonald concluded by stressing the importance of affordability, inclusivity, and competition in PNG’s telecommunications sector. With a large young population, he said, the opportunities around online learning and broader access to digital services could transform the nation’s future.

“By working together, we can create a digital future that is secure, inclusive, and full of opportunity for many of the young people here in PNG,” he affirmed. “Let us walk this path together, side by side, step by step.”