Google's Unity Project
Feb 26, 2008
Google continues to expand its portfolio and its reach, confirming today that it is one of six companies involved in building an undersea broadband cable between Japan and the United States. Dubbed "Unity," the $300 million project will boost Trans-Pacific Internet capacity by about 20 percent and give Google direct access to its own cable.
NEC and Tyco Telecommunications, which won the contract to build the system, will begin work on the project immediately in order to have it ready by early 2010.
Google's manager of network acquisitions Francois Sterin explained the decision on the company's official blog, trying to quell speculation that Google will be going on a cable buying spree.
Here's an excerpt from Francois' post:
If you're wondering whether we're going into the undersea cable business, the answer is no. We're not competing with telecom providers, but the volume of data we need to move around the world has grown to the point where in some cases we've exceeded the ability traditional players can offer. Our partnership with these companies is just another step in ensuring that we're delivering the best possible experience to people around the world.
Tags:
Asia, broadband, Google, Internet infrastructure
