Google and Facebook invest in new 190Tbit/s submarine cable in Asia

Google and Facebook are investing in the Apricot submarine cable, providing a high-speed connection between Singapore, Japan, Guam, the Philippines, Taiwan and Indonesia. The cable will initially have a bandwidth of 190Tbit/s and should be ready in 2024.

According to Google, Apricot is an addition to the previously announced Echo submarine cable, which connects the United States with Singapore, Guam and Indonesia. The two cables will provide several new routes to and from Asia, which should improve the operation of Google Cloud and other Google services for Asian users.

It concerns a 12,000 kilometer long cable, Facebook writes. During construction, the initial bandwidth is 190Tbit/s and the fiber optic cable works with 400G fiber optic technology. According to Facebook, the cable will feature a configurable optical add-drop multiplexer with a selector wavelength switch, allowing for flexible bandwidth configuration.

According to Facebook, the cable will provide redundancy and improved capacity and reliability in the Asia-Pacific regions. The social network says the cable is a collaboration between “regional parties and global partners.”

Various news media write that telecom company PLDT from the Philippines is also investing in the Apricot submarine cable. According to GMA Network, that party is putting $80 million into the project. It is not known what amount Google and Facebook pay. According to PLDT, Apricot is made by a consortium of a total of five companies.

The Apricot submarine cable should be operational in 2024. Regulatory bodies have yet to approve the project. Google and Facebook have invested in several submarine cables worldwide. Google has invested in 18 cables and at Facebook the counter is now at 14.

Submarine cables between Asia and United States. The Apricot Cable is not on the map yet – Submarine Cable Map