Google has revealed a large investment intended to increase Internet connectivitydd between Japan and the US. The company announced intentions to invest $1 billion in developing two new undersea cables namely the Taihei and Proa subsea cable installations. This telecom infrastructure development by Google aims to strengthen ties not just between the United States and Japan but also with other Pacific island nations and territories, in a region where Internet access is sometimes limited.
The announcement's timing fits with Japan and the United States' larger plan to strengthen their diplomatic and technical ties. Both countries said in a statement that they were committed to working together with additional partners that share their values to build robust and secure networks across the Pacific. This commitment also includes monetary contributions for undersea cable projects in the area, underscoring the efforts' strategic significance.
In a blog post two days ago, Google Cloud's Vice President of Global Network Infrastructure, Brian Quigley, emphasized the importance of the cables. Mr. Quigley claims that the Proa cable, which was created in collaboration with NEC, a pioneer in the undersea cable industry, would link Japan with Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).
The Taihei cable will provide direct connections to the United States, Japan, and Hawaii in addition to Proa, further merging these countries' technical environments. Google also intends to link the CNMI to the U.S. and the Philippines via the NEC cable system, which is now located in Taiwan. It is expected that these extensions will improve network infrastructure resilience as well as connectivity in these crucial locations.
Positive Economic Effects
Such infrastructure improvements can have significant positive economic effects. According to a research by Analysys Mason, over $400 million has already been added to Japan's GDP in the last ten years as a result of Google's prior network infrastructure expenditures. It is anticipated that the continuous extension would boost productivity and economic development in the areas these cables service.
The project is being undertaken at a time when major international powers, particularly the United States and China, are showing a greater interest in the Pacific area. These countries are eager to expand their influence via military and infrastructural cooperation. Under President Joe Biden, the U.S. government has identified the telecommunications sector as a critical area of national security concern, highlighting its role in regulating international information flows.
In the past, the United States promised to work with Google to jointly finance the building of two underwater cables that would link Guam to hubs in Fiji and French Polynesia, connecting it to other isolated Pacific islands. As a crucial part of its larger strategic goals, the United States is actively working to preserve and expand its technical superiority and reach in the Pacific, as seen by this continuing project.
Google is working with a number of regional partners to advance these initiatives, such as stakeholders in the CNMI, Citadel Pacific in the Philippines, KDDI and Arteria Networks in Japan.
