Pushing the limit! Google, Facebook team up for direct undersea connection to Asia

Internet giants Google and Facebook have teamed up with Pacific Light Data Communication and undersea communication solution provider TE SubCom to build the first direct submarine cable system between Los Angeles and Hong Kong with ultra high-capacity.

The Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN) will have 12,800km of fibre and an estimated cable capacity of 120 Tbps, making it the highest-capacity trans-Pacific route, a record currently held by another Google-backed cable system, FASTER.

In other words, PLCN will provide enough capacity for Hong Kong to have 80 million concurrent HD video conference calls with Los Angeles.

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

PLCN will bring lower latency, more security and greater bandwidth to Google users in the APAC region and will be operational in 2018.

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, the blog post noted.

This is the sixth submarine cable in which Google has an ownership stake, joining the ranks of the Unity, SJC, FASTER, MONET and Tannat projects.