The company will also serve as an official tournament supporter for the Asia-Pacific region and is expected to deliver a "secure and reliable network that connects the entire tournament ecosystem".

An estimated two billion people will watch the World Cup and Cisco's networking technology is seen as essential in enabling the delivery of the event.

"The FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 will be a historic event, and we are thrilled to have another great company, Cisco, now on board as our official network infrastructure provider," said FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura.

"With Cisco's expertise and solutions, we will have a seamless and securely connected tournament experience."

Cisco's network will connect all nine competition venues as well as non-competition sites that will support the tournament's operations, including the International Broadcast Centre.

Cisco's IP fabric for media solution is set to be implemented at the Centre to ensure 4K television content can be broadcast to fans globally.

As part of its sponsorship, Cisco's networking academy, which provides free IT education courses, will offer an all-female team of local students the chance to gain experience at the event.

"The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 is unequivocally one of the marquee global sporting events, and we are proud that Cisco will be the trusted provider to connect and protect the network on which the entire ecosystem will operate," said Cisco senior vice-president and chief marketing officer Carrie Palin.

"We're committed to enabling a connected experience for football fans worldwide and are proud of our role in supporting the game of football and using it as a platform to make a positive impact on players and fans."

The World Cup is due to take place from July 20 to August 20 this year in the Antipodean countries.

It is set to be the first time that the pair have staged the event, and also the first time it has come to Oceania.