Google is planning to deploy an undersea cable, the first that will connect Canada to Asia.
Google states that the cable will be ready for service sometime in 2023 and is expected to deliver low-latency improvements to things like Google search, Gmail, YouTube, Google Cloud, and other Google services.
It’ll also increase capacity in the region for numerous network operators in Japan and Canada.
While Google is spearheading the project, a number of other local partners in Canada and Japan will help deliver the full subsea cable system which google has named Topaz.
After the cable is complete, other network operators will be able to utilize it for their own operations or to provide to third parties.
“Similar to other cables weāve built, with Topaz we will exchange fiber pairs with partners who have systems along similar routes. This is a longstanding practice in the industry that strengthens the intercontinental network lattice for network operators, for Google, and for users around the world,” reads a blog post from Google Canada.
While the cable is a first when it comes to a connection between Canada and Asia, many similar cables exist connecting other regions across the globe.
How it works
Google Canada
Google notes that while Topaz is the first trans-Pacific fiber cable to land on the west coast, it’s not the first communication cable to connect Vancouver Island.
“In the 1960s, the Commonwealth Pacific Cable System (COMPAC) was a copper undersea cable linking Vancouver with Honolulu (United States), Sydney (Australia), and Auckland (New Zealand), expanding high-quality international phone connectivity. Today, COMPAC is no longer in service but its legacy lives on.”
Google will also be consulting with First Nations that may be impacted by the development.
“Traditional and treaty rights, and local communities, are deeply important to our infrastructure projects. The Topaz cable is built alongside the traditional territories of the Hupacasath, Maa-nulth, and Tseshaht, and we have consulted with and partnered with these First Nations every step of the way,” reads the statement.
In response, Elected Chief and Councillor Ken Watts said in a statement that he’s proud of the collaboration, and feels like the partnership has been respectful thus far.
“Thatās how we carry ourselves and that’s how we want businesses to carry themselves in our territory.”
You can learn more about it here:
Follow Channels and Categories