At its 29th Ordinary Meeting, the Council of Ministers (COM) approved several key recommendations from a Working Group leading a major review of previous COM decisions regarding the country's second submarine cable and other digital infrastructure projects, including the establishment of new data centres and the upgrading of the government broadband network.
The long-awaited Tamtam submarine cable, linking Lifou in New Caledonia to Vanuatu, will significantly boost high-speed broadband internet connectivity to Santo, Malekula, Efate, and Tanna. This will provide reliable redundancy and backup, making the network more resilient and enhancing domestic connectivity.
COM has directed the Ministry of the Prime Minister through the Department of Communication and Digital Transformation (DCDT) to ensure that the Tamtam cable is “owned, managed and operated under a public private partnership (PPP) arrangement”.
The COM also instructed that the design for the operation and maintenance of the Tamtam Cable be formulated through a transparent process in accordance with the relevant national legislative and regulatory framework.
A ground-breaking ceremony is planned shortly to mark the start of the cable-laying process.
The new submarine cable, which will be fully owned and serviced entirely in-country, is greatly anticipated to change the dynamics of the country's communication and digital landscape. The cable laying work is being funded by the European Investment Bank (EIB), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the French Government, including equity share contributions from Prima Ltd, the Vanuatu National Provident Fund (VNPF) and the Vanuatu Post.
The Working Committee that conducted the review is chaired by Efate Rural MP and ICT Specialist, Hon. Fred Lui Samuel, recently appointed as ICT Special Envoy for the Government of Vanuatu. The committee comprises key personnel from the National Security Council, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the Attorney General, and the Prime Minister's Office.
In addition, COM also gave several other key undertakings relating to the communication and digital space, aimed at significantly assisting the Government to protect its data better in future, in light of the 2022 experience with the cyberattack that affected the entire Government machinery.
The COM decision makes it clear that the Data Centres and the Cloud Pilot Project remain the property of the State of Vanuatu.
The following were the other key decisions of the COM of November 26th, 2025
· Instructed the Department of Communication and Digital Transformation to complete the implementation of the Vanuatu Government Data Centre project, a project being carried out with support from the Australian Government.
· Instructed the DCDT to collaborate with the Government of Australia on the implementation of the Government's Cloud Project, ensuring Vanuatu's sovereign data and information are always secure.
· Regarding the Government Broadband Network Project, COM instructed that the department responsible for national communication, DCDT, be supported to carry out broadband network projects with financing from the EU.
· COM also instructed that the Working Group become a Sub-Committee within the National Digital Transformation Steering Committee, established under the new Digital Transformation Act of 2025.