Google denies report it is building data centre on Christmas Island
Make us a preferred source
Make us a preferred source on Google
More news: Google has denied a Reuters report that it is building an artificial intelligence data centre on Christmas Island after signing a deal with Australia’s Department of Defence earlier this year.
The Reuters report describes the facility as advanced AI infrastructure on the island in the Indian Ocean which is seen by defence officials as a key frontline territory for monitoring Chinese naval activity in the Indian Ocean.
Responding to the report, Google denied the claims and said that the project is focused on delivering previously announced subsea cable infrastructure.
"We are not constructing "a large artificial intelligence data centre" on Christmas Island", A Google spokesperson told Capital Brief. "This is a continuation of our Australia Connect work to deliver subsea cable infrastructure, and we look forward to sharing more soon.”
The statement is at odds with the Reuters report, which said Christmas Island Shire officials and council meeting records show that Google is in advanced talks to lease land near the island's airport to construct the data hub, including a deal with a local mining company to secure its energy needs.
Reuters has not retracted its report.
Google to build AI data centre on Christmas Island: Reuters
The news: Google is planning to building an artificial intelligence data centre on Christmas Island after signing a deal with Australia’s Department of Defence earlier this year, according to documents seen by Reuters.
The context: Comments from Christmas Island Shire officials and council meeting records show that Google is in advanced talks to lease land near the island's airport to construct the data hub, including a deal with a local mining company to secure its energy needs, Reuters reports.
Military experts told Reuters that the facility would be a valuable asset on the island which is seen by defence officials as a key frontline territory for monitoring Chinese naval activity in the Indian Ocean.
Australia's defence department entered into a three-year cloud agreement with Google in July, and the tech giant last month applied for Australian environmental approvals to build the first subsea cable connecting Christmas Island to Darwin, where the US Marines are based for six months of the year.
Details about the data centre, including its projected size, cost and potential uses, remain secret.
The source: Reuters
