Vice-President Pillay Warns Digital Infrastructure Vulnerabilities as Seychelles Marks World Telecommunication Day
VICTORIA, Seychelles — Vice-President Sebastien Pillay has delivered a comprehensive address marking World Telecommunication Day 2026, warning that digital resilience represents Seychelles’ most pressing sovereignty challenge as the nation depends increasingly on submarine cables and satellite connectivity for economic survival.
The commemoration, observed globally on May 17, marks the anniversary of the International Telecommunication Union’s founding in 1865. This year’s theme, ‘Digital Lifelines: Strengthening Resilience in a Connected World’, resonates particularly acutely for small island developing states whose entire economies hinge upon uninterrupted connectivity.
Seychelles currently relies upon three submarine cable systems: the Seychelles East Africa System, the Pakistan and East Africa Connecting Europe cable, and the 2Africa cable. According to Pillay, these connections, while enabling tourism, banking, and government services, present existential vulnerabilities that demand immediate attention.
The Vice-President outlined a three-phase resilience strategy encompassing design, crisis response, and recovery protocols. His announcement that Starlink satellite connectivity will soon supplement existing infrastructure represents a significant diversification of the nation’s digital backbone.
Pillay emphasised that government investment in redundant systems must be matched by robust protection of critical information infrastructure across both public and private sectors. The address signals growing official recognition that digital connectivity has evolved from convenience to essential national infrastructure requiring the same protective frameworks as utilities and transportation networks.
The government remains committed to ensuring every Seychellois has access to resilient digital lifelines.
