Google to expand cloud infrastructure with new regions, submarine cables

Alphabet Google said on January 16 it would add five regions and build three new submarine cables as it expands its infrastructure for cloud customers. The company, which has invested $30 billion in infrastructure over the past three years, said its Netherlands and Montreal regions will open in the first quarter of 2018, followed by Los Angeles, Finland, and Hong Kong.

Google plans to commission the three subsea cables in 2019, the internet giant said in a blog post. The subsea cables include Curie, a private cable connecting Chile to Los Angeles; Havfrue, a consortium cable connecting the United States to Denmark and Ireland; and Hong Kong-Guam Cable system, a consortium cable interconnecting major subsea communication hubs in Asia.

Subsea cables form the backbone of the internet by carrying more than 90 per cent of the world’s data traffic. The companies setting up the cables include TE SubCom, a unit of NYSE-listed TE Connectivity, and Tokyo-listed NEC Corp, Google said. The company said it has a direct investment in 11 cables, including those planned or under construction.