Vanuatu's Prime Minister is expected to ask Australia to help finance a highspeed undersea internet cable his government has connections to, after Canberra it's signed a $136 million contract to roll-out a different cable for Solomons and PNG.
The telecommunications company, Vocus Group, will oversee the roll-out of the 4000 kilometre undersea cable, linking Solomon Islands and PNG with the Australian mainland.
The money will come from the Australian aid budget, with the PNG and Solomon Islands governments required to contribute some of the funding.
By footing the bill, Australia effectively stopped the Chinese company, Huawei, from building the link, as it had originally signed a contract to do so with the Solomon Islands government.
But the issue will be on the agenda of Vanuatu's Prime Minister Charlot Salwai, who will visit Australia this weekend for the first time as leader.
That's because his government is a shareholder in a private company, Interchange Limited, that's building another highspeed undersea cable for Solomon Islands.