Google And Meta's Plan To Make Submarine Data Cables To Asia Meet The Bright Spot

Illustration-Sascha Bosshard / Unsplash

JAKARTA - The administration of United States (US) President Joe Biden asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to immediately allow Google parent company Alphabet and Facebook parent Meta to use the submarine cable system.

The system will later aim to handle the growth of internet traffic with several countries in Asia. Through this system, both Alphabet and Meta will send and receive data on the 8,000-mile Pacific Light Cable Network.

It is known, the underwater fiber optic cable system will connect the United States, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Hong Kong. About 300 submarine cables form the backbone of the internet, transmitting 99 percent of the world's data traffic.

Meta requested permission to use the Philippines-to-US share, while Alphabet had requested permission to connect to Taiwan. Both companies are committed to protecting the privacy and security of US data, especially against Chinese intelligence operations.

"The cable system increases internet capacity between the United States and the Philippines to help people stay connected and share content. The cable is secure and data is protected through advanced encryption", said a Meta spokesperson as quoted by Reuters on Saturday, December 18.

Alphabet and Meta had previously planned to use a network cable to Hong Kong, which is controlled by Beijing. Unfortunately, several US government agencies recommended canceling the plan in 2020.

The Justice Department said national security agreements with Alphabet and Meta were necessary given China's ongoing efforts to obtain sensitive personal data from millions of Americans.

Because of this, Alphabet ended up choosing another Asian country without looking to China, as the company needed a data connection to handle the increased traffic between its data centers in Taiwan and the US.

However, both of them must comply with the things stated in the agreement. Alphabet and Meta must conduct annual risk assessments of sensitive data, and they must be able to limit or stop data traffic over wires within 24 hours.