The beast of Mountain View is not happy with dominating the search, online advertising and wireless industry. Now, Google is embarking on a different territory with its investment to build a 6,200-mile transpacific fiber-optic cable estimated to cost about $300 million.
This so-called “Unity cable†will connect Los Angeles to Chikura, Japan at 2,000 feet below the surface. The explosive surge of Internet communication between the U.S. and Asia though video, text and voice are the main drivers of this expansion plan. The project will be completed in 2010.
This is the first time an Internet company will put money on this kind of venture. Google will join the consortium composed of six companies including SingTel (Singapore), Bharti Artel (India), and deep-sea fiber-optic cable network operator Pacnet.
According to a news article, the ulterior motive behind this move is to give Google the opportunity to “lock in a low-cost price on some of the bandwidth it needs†since Internet companies are now playing bigger roles in connecting people in different ways.
Originally posted on February 26, 2008 @ 8:55 am