Google has announced plans to lay a new ocean Internet cable. The route was probably named Humboldt in honor of the geographer Alexander von Humboldt. The cable will connect Chile, French Polynesia and Australia and will be the first cable in the world to directly connect South America and the Asia-Pacific region across the Pacific Ocean.
A direct fiber optic connection between South America and the Asia-Pacific region has been the goal of the Chilean government since 2016, and now with Google joining the project, the project will finally begin its journey to fruition.
The project will cost participants $400 million. In addition to Google, Chilean infrastructure fund Desarrollo PaÃs, the French Polynesia Post and Telecommunications Authority and other participants are also participating. The length of the cable will be approximately 15,000 km and its laying will be completed in 2026.
Analysys Mason estimates that previous undersea cables laid by Google in Latin America and the Caribbean will result in a total increase in GDP of $178 billion between 2017 and 2027, with approximately 740,000 new cables created by 2027.