Google’s FASTER Undersea Cable, Speeding up Trans-Pacific Internet, is Now Activated

In 2014, Google announced a remarkable feat of engineering in partnership with leading Asian telecom companies – a 9,000km undersea cable line connecting the US and Japan. Recently, Google declared the completion and activation of this mammoth project, which is capable of transporting data at an incredible 60 terabits per second (60 million Mbps). This remarkable enterprise promises to deliver a significant boost to internet speeds across the trans-Pacific region.

This undersea powerhouse, aptly named the FASTER Cable System, stretches across the Pacific Ocean, emerging on US soil in Oregon and from there reaching major hubs in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Portland, and Seattle. Correspondingly, the other end surfaces at two strategic locations in Japan, Chiba and Mie prefectures, enabling easy access to Japan’s major cities. The cable’s thoughtful connectivity to neighboring cable systems means its impressive capacity is not just confined to Japan, but will extend to other Asian locations.

Constructed at a significant cost of approximately $300 million, the cable plays a vital role in ensuring rapid, robust, and resilient connectivity across the Pacific. However, Google is not alone in this ambitious endeavor. Microsoft and Facebook similarly announced a partnership a few months back to undertake a comparable project.

Installing such cables is no small feat, requiring specially designed ships capable of laying 200km of cable per day. Despite their seeming fragility, these cables are reinforced with additional layers of wires and steel to prevent damage. It’s worth noting that these cables are not only subject to human-induced threats but also fall prey to curious marine life such as sharks. In response to this, Google has reportedly protected its cables using Kevlar coating to deter would-be undersea attackers.

Despite their immense benefits, undersea cables have become the recent center of concern for geopolitical reasons. In the worsening scenario of escalating tension between Western powers and Russia, fears have arisen regarding the proximity of Russian vessels to these vital infrastructures. The United States has raised concerns that Russia may be planning to sever these vital links, which facilitate over $10 trillion in global business daily and carry about 95% of global data.

Within the security confines of the Pentagon and the nation’s spy agencies, the assessment of Russia’s increasing naval activities are highly classified and not openly discussed. American officials are tight-lipped about their strategies to monitor and swiftly recover from any potential cable damages. Nevertheless, it’s clear that the issue has certainly garnered significant attention in the Pentagon corridors.

This article was updated in 2025 to reflect modern realities.

Featured Image Credit: Computer World UK