Google and Chile sign deal for sub cable linking South America with Australia
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The news: Google and the Chilean government have signed an agreement to build the first submarine fibre-optic cable connecting South America with Oceania and Asia, according to reports citing Chilean officials.
The numbers: The 14,800-kilometre Humboldt Cable will link the coastal city of Valparaíso to Sydney, Australia via French Polynesia, and is expected to begin operating in 2027, according to the reports.
Chilean officials estimated the total investment at between USD300 million ($462 million) and USD550 million, with Chile contributing USD25 million.
The context: The project was first proposed in 2016 and has undergone various developments since then. In January 2024, Google officially joined the project, partnering with Chile's state-run infrastructure fund Desarrollo País and the Office of Posts and Telecommunications of French Polynesia (OPT).
Deployment is scheduled to begin next year, with commercial operation expected in early 2027. Chile and its partners are also working to select a telecommunications operator to manage the cable’s capacity.
Cristian Ramos, head of telecommunications infrastructure for Latin America at Alphabet, said the cable "can be used not only by Google but also by other users, such as technology companies operating in Chile."
Authorities said the project could improve the performance of platforms like TikTok, facilitate astronomical data transmission, and support mining operations across both continents.
What they said: "It's the first submarine cable in the South Pacific, so it's an important commitment in that we have an extraordinary strategic partner for a cable that should be operational in 2027," Transport Minister Juan Carlos Muñoz told journalists.
"It's wonderful to see how our country is positioning itself as the Southern Cone's digital gateway to the Asia-Pacific."
The sources: Reuters, Associated Press
