Google launches under-sea cable link between the US and Japan

A 5,600-mile link between the US and Japan involving world’s highest-capacity undersea internet cable has been launched by Google. The fiber cable, which can transport data at 60 terabits per second (60 million Mbps) is expected to be a significant boost to trans-pacific internet speeds.

The project which is backed by six companies including Google and Asian telecoms groups has “more than any active subsea cable,” according to Google’s Urs Holzle.

With more devices going online amidst the growth of cloud internet services, the demand for faster internet speeds and extra capacity is all time high. Today, almost all international internet traffic runs via undersea cables, however, in the internet’s earlier days much of the traffic was via satellites.

The $300m (£220m) “Faster” cable system will connect to hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle, and two points in Japan.

Google is also backing a project to build a cable between Florida and Brazil which is expected to finish by the end of the year, while Microsoft and Facebook recently announced a trans-Atlantic cable between Virginia Beach and Bilbao in Spain.

“Faster is one of just a few hundred submarine cables connecting various parts of the world, which collectively form an important backbone that helps run the internet,” Holzle said.

Laying the cable under the sea is a tough task requiring specially-designed ships which can lay up to 125 miles per day. Although the optical fibres that transport data are extremely thin, the cables have to be reinforced with layers of tubing, steel wires and plastic to prevent damage.