Tonga and the United States have agreed to work towards modernising the Government’s data centre and network infrastructure, with cybersecurity and the resilience of critical public services at the centre of the initiative.

Prime Minister Lord Fakafanua and US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau signed the agreement yesterday in Koror, Palau, on the margins of the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting.

The agreement will support a feasibility study funded by the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to assess options for secure and resilient hosting of critical government systems and services.

Tonga’s Digital Transformation Department has selected New York-based CyberCX USA Inc. to carry out the technical analysis needed to inform possible financing and implementation of the modernised infrastructure.

The study will examine options to strengthen whole-of-government cybersecurity, improve disaster recovery and support the expansion of digital public services. It will also consider infrastructure capable of supporting emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence-powered applications.

The US Department of State is also supporting Tonga’s migration of critical government data assets to trusted cloud infrastructure.

Lord Fakafanua said stronger digital infrastructure was essential to Tonga’s resilience and development, particularly as the Government expands digital services.

The agreement comes as Pacific governments face growing demands to protect critical digital systems while increasing their use of technology. The 55th Pacific Islands Forum is being held in Koror from 30 August to 4 September under the theme “Building Economies: Life. Action. Unity.”

The feasibility study is expected to provide the Government with options for the next stage of the project. The Government has not yet announced the final cost or financing arrangements for construction or implementation of the proposed infrastructure.