Pacific voices shaping the future of Internet governance

We were proud to be part of this momentum. Over two packed days (2–3 July), our team joined regional and global partners to discuss critical issues ranging from digital infrastructure to Internet governance reform.

Samoa’s Prime Minister, The Hon Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa, called for stronger Pacific representation in global forums and the defence of multistakeholder models.

Our CEO, Vivien Maidaborn, spotlighted the growing impact of a Technical Community Coalition for Multistakeholderism (TCCM). Other highlights included:

• A deep dive into IPv6 uptake across the region, led by APNIC’s Dave Phelan, reinforces the importance of forward-thinking infrastructure. 
• Lively debate on satellite vs submarine cable networks and the need for resilient, affordable connectivity.
• A grassroots-led WSIS+20 roundtable urging action to protect inclusive, community-driven governance spaces.

A few standout moments:

Opening address by the Honourable Prime Minister of Samoa, Fiamē Naomi Mata'afa.

The Prime Minister spoke powerfully about the role of regional voices in global Internet governance and the importance of protecting multistakeholder models. Her reminder of the power of small nations at the UN General Assembly struck a chord with the room.

IPv6: from scarcity to abundance

Some of our team attended a very informative session with Dave Phelan from APNIC, diving into IPv6 uptake across the Pacific. It was a timely reminder of the foresight InternetNZ had 18 years ago when we updated our DNS infrastructure to support both IPv4 and IPv6. As Dave put it, “Dual-stack is the answer!”

Hybrid infrastructure: satellites vs submarine cables?

This was a standout session with Paul Twomey, Ioana Chan Mow (UOS), Pepe Christian Fruean (Samoan Submarine Cable Company), and Fiafaitupe Tuiloma-Lafaele (UOS) — it was so good, it ran 20 minutes over! Submarine cables carry 95% of global traffic but remain vulnerable. So, what does Google’s expansion into Pacific cables mean for the region? The panel also explored Starlink’s role in bridging digital divides. As Pepe Fruean highlighted, “Internet is an ‘essential need’ — we must build resilient, affordable networks that serve this fundamental requirement.”

Championing multistakeholderism

Our CE, Vivien Maidaborn MNZM, spotlighted TCCM — of which InternetNZ is a founding member — as a driving force at GDC2024 and the WSIS20 inflexion point. In less than a year, TCCM has become a “masterclass in building a movement” to defend inclusive, collaborative Internet governance.

Grassroots power at WSIS+20

Maureen Hilyard (Internet Society Board Trustee), Jordan Carter (auDA), and Bree Alexander (Australia Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts) led a powerful roundtable on what WSIS+20 means for the Pacific. They emphasised:

• IGFs elevate community voices alongside governments and technical experts
• We must act now to protect these inclusive spaces.
• Every voice matters in safeguarding multistakeholderism.
  

The 2025 Pacific Internet Governance Forum proved the Pacific isn’t just participating —  it's shaping the future of Internet Governance.