Google and Facebook to build undersea cable connection with ultra-high capacity

Two tech giants - Google and Facebook - are coming together to build approximately 8,000-mile cable between Los Angeles and Hong Kong, which will provide 120 terabits of data per second between the two cities.

The duo has also teamed up with the Pacific Light Data Communications Company and TE SubCom to build a direct undersea connection, which has been codenamed 'Pacific Light Cable Network'.

The Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN) will have 12,800km of fiber. It's estimated cable capacity of 120 Tbps, will make it the highest-capacity trans-Pacific route, a record currently held by another Google-backed cable system, FASTER. Google claims that their latest project will provide 80 million people in Hong Kong to have an HD video call with Los Angeles at the same time.

Brian Quigley, Director, Google Networking Infrastructure, said in a blog post, “Google’s mission is to connect people to the information by providing fast and reliable infrastructure. From data centers to cables under the sea, we’re dedicated to building infrastructure that reaches more people than ever before.”

"PLCN is designed to accommodate evolving infrastructure technology, allowing us to independently choose network equipment and refresh optical technology as it advances. Most importantly, PLCN will bring lower latency, more security, and greater bandwidth to Google users in the APAC region. In addition to our existing investments in APAC cloud regions and the FASTER cable system, PLCN expands our ability to serve people in Asia, including Google Cloud and G Suite customers," he further added.

The new cable is expected to be completed and be operational by 2018.

Such a project is not new for both the companies. For Google, PLCN is the sixth submarine cable in which Google has an ownership stake, whereas Facebook has already partnered with Microsoft to build a faster cable across the Atlantic.