Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Davos, Switzerland January 15-17 to attend the World Economic Forum. During the World Economic Forum, Secretary Blinken will meet with leaders to discuss issues of global concern. He will emphasize the need to achieve lasting peace and security in the Middle East, the United States' enduring commitment to the people of Ukraine, and our commitment to transatlantic security and the rules-based international order.

The United States welcomes today's announcement by the Government of Chile and Google, launching the Humboldt subsea cable route connecting Chile to Australia via French Polynesia.  This is the first-ever subsea cable connection between South America and the Indo-Pacific region.  When complete (estimated 2026), this transformational project will increase the reach, reliability, and resilience of the Internet by adding a trusted and secure route across the Pacific.

The Humboldt subsea cable route is an example of a commercially viable, multi-stakeholder approach to trusted information and communications technology development that will create new economic opportunities in Chile and beyond.  These undersea cables, paired with secure 5G wireless terrestrial networks, will accelerate South America and the Pacific Island nations' digital connectivity and integration with the global economy.

This announcement follows the inaugural Leaders' Summit of the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, where President Biden hosted regional leaders, including Chile's President Boric, to chart an ambitious course for deepening economic integration and mobilizing responsible private investment in the Western Hemisphere.  The Humboldt cable represents a concrete example of the potential for greater economic cooperation in the Americas. To help broaden access to modern, trusted and secure communications infrastructure throughout the Pacific, the United States remains committed to expanding access to fast, secure, interoperable, and reliable internet connectivity in the Pacific Ocean.  The Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy (CDP) plans to contribute $15 million to enable access to fast, secure, interoperable, and reliable internet connectivity in several Pacific Island Countries.  This is one way that the United States government is engaging with U.S. companies to enable the expansion of sustainable and reliable Internet infrastructure.

For more information, please contactCDP-Press@state.gov.