Google will invest USD 1 billion to lay down subsea cables Proa and Taihei, which will improve digital connectivity between Japan, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam, Hawaii, and the U.S.
Apr 17, 2024
Google will invest USD 1 billion to improve digital connectivity between the U.S. and Japan through two new subsea cables, the American multinational corporation and technology company recently announced.
The two subsea cables – Proa and Taihei – will improve connectivity between several countries, including the U.S., Japan, and several Pacific island countries & territories, Google posted in a blog.
It said Proa, which was named after the traditional sailing canoes of the Mariana Islands, would connect the United States of America, Japan, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Guam. Taihei, which meant “peace” and “Pacific Ocean” in Japanese, would connect Japan, Hawaii and the U.S.
Hawaii would further benefit from the extension of Google’s Tabua cable, which was announced in October 2023. The Central Pacific Connect initiative was launched in October 2023, with the Honomoana and Tabua cables announced as the first two projects. In January 2024, Google expanded the initiative with the announcement of the Bulikula and Halaihai cables.
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In addition to Proa, the Taiwan-Philippines-U.S, (TPU) cable, which is also owned by Google, would be extended to the CNMI.
In addition to its cables connecting East Asia with the west coast of the US, Google said that it would fund the construction of an interlink cable connecting Hawaii, the CNMI, and Guam in the Pacific. This interlink would connect the transpacific routes, improving their reliability and reducing latency for users in the Pacific Islands and around the world.
Google said that it would further work in collaboration with Japanese telecom operators KDDI and Arteria Networks, along with Philippines-based private equity firm Citadel Pacific, and the CNMI, to improve the digital connectivity in the region.
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A joint statement issued by the US and Japan said, “Building on the U.S.-Australia joint funding commitment for subsea cables last October, the United States and Japan plan to collaborate with like-minded partners to build trusted and more resilient networks and intend to contribute funds to provide subsea cables in the Pacific region.”
Submarine or subsea cables are fiber optic cables that connect countries across the world via cables laid on the ocean floor. They form the backbone of the internet, carrying 99 percent of the world’s data traffic.
