Google Undersea Cables to Connect the US, Fiji, French Polynesia, and Australia
Google's latest subsea cable endeavor will connect the US, Fiji, French Polynesia, and Australia in the South Pacific.
The cables, dubbed Honomoana and Tabua, aim to provide more reliable service in countries that struggle with solid connections. Google is partnering with Fiji International Telecommunications, Office of Posts and Telecommunications of French Polynesia, APTelecom, and Vocus Group on this project.
Once done, the Honomoana cable will run from the US through French Polynesia to Australia. The Tabua line will be routed through Fiji. In addition, Google wants to put an interlink directly between Fiji and French Polynesia for added stability and reliability.
“Increasing the reliability and resilience of digital connectivity in the Pacific is a fundamental objective of APTelecom and collaborating with Google is a great example of how companies can work together to accelerate and deliver connectivity solutions that will change the world,” Eric Handa, CEO of APTelecom, said in a statement.
According to Google, subsea cables improve internet affordability and reliability. The hope is that access to more digital services will open more professional and educational opportunities for those who previously didn't have access.
While this particular set of subsea cables is set to stretch for thousands of miles, the longest subsea cable on record is Meta's 2Africa, which circles the entire African continent connecting Great Britain to India and then cutting through the Mediterranean Sea to Italy before circling back to Spain in an epic 45,000-kilometer journey.
Google has also facilitated the Grace Hopper, Dunant, Curie, Equiano, and Firmia subsea cables. Plus, it worked with Meta on the Apricot subsea cable.
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