Amid the Japanese prime minister’s tour to enhance bilateral ties, Alphabet-owned Google declared on Wednesday its plan to invest $1 billion. The investment aims to bolster digital connectivity between the U.S. and Japan through the construction of two new subsea cables.
Google’s blog post reveals that the two underwater cables, Proa and Taihei, will enhance connections. These cables will link the United States, Japan, and numerous Pacific island nations and territories.
“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,” a joint statement from the United States and Japan said on Wednesday.
China and the United States are battling with one another for influence in the Pacific region by making proposals for military alliances and infrastructure.
President Joe Biden has advocated for American leadership in the telecommunications sector. He views the sector’s influence over global information flows as a critical national security concern. Consequently, he emphasizes the need for proactive engagement and strategic planning.
Last year, the United States committed to co-financing two underwater cables that Google was to build. These cables would connect Guam, a U.S. territory, to hubs in Fiji and French Polynesia. Additionally, they would spread out across distant Pacific Islands.
According to Google, the Taihei underwater cable would link the United States, Japan, Hawaii, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The Proa subsea cable would link the United States, Guam, and Japan.
Google also declared that it will provide funding for the building of an interlink cable that would link Guam, the CNMI, and Hawaii.
In order to enhance the digital connectivity in the area, the tech giant further declared that it will cooperate with Japanese businesses, such as KDDI, Arteria Networks, Citadel Pacific, which is situated in the Philippines, and the CNMI.
Subsea cables serve as the internet’s foundation, transporting 99% of global data traffic.
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