Another Pacific Island Rejects Undersea China Cable
Undersea cables are the backbone of the internet connecting faraway places like the Pacific to the world. These submarine fiber optic cables permit the world’s web traffic to flow.
Source: popsci.com
Tuesday, 29 June 2021 11:31 AM
After rejecting a low bid from China due to security concerns, the Pacific island of Nauru is in discussions to connect to an Australian undersea communications network.
The United States and its Pacific allies have voiced concerns that cables laid by China would be vulnerable to breaches of the cable by the Chinese.
The island of Nauru earlier rejected a World Bank-led cable tender, due to concerns the contract would be awarded to the former Huawei Marine, now called HMN Tech, following the Chinese firm submitting a bid that was 20 percent lower than the closest rival.