Dive Brief:
- Google, Facebook, Pacific Light Data Communication and TE Subcom will collaborate to build the first high-capacity direct submarine cable system between Los Angeles and Hong Kong.
- The system — known as the Pacific Light Cable Network — will be the highest-capacity trans-Pacific route to date and stretch 12,800 km.
- This is the sixth submarine cable Google has an ownership stake in. PLCN is expected to become operational by 2018.
Dive Insight:
"PLCN will provide enough capacity for Hong Kong to have 80 million concurrent HD video conference calls with Los Angeles," said Brian Quigley, director Google Networking Infrastructure, in an announcement.
The cable will bring lower latency, more security and greater bandwidth to Google Cloud users in the APAC region, according to the company. As Google works to increase its enterprise market share, decreased latency could lure in new customers, particularly as that's an area the company has struggled with in the past.
Undersea cables have grown more common over the last several years because they tend to be more reliable and produce less latency than satellites. Facebook also benefits from the project because it is working to expand access to the internet worldwide. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made it a personal mission to connect more of the world’s population through his internet.org initiative and other efforts.
