Italy In Talks With Google To Build An Underwater Cable Network In Sicily

Italian Deputy Minister Alessio Butti (photo: x @InnovazioneGov)

JAKARTA The Italian government is currently negotiating with Alphabet, Google's parent company, for a plan to build a base station in Sicily that will be part of an undersea fiber optic cable network in the Mediterranean region. Italian deputy minister Alessio Butti said this on Tuesday while attending a meeting of the ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) countries.

"It took time to finalize the agreement, but Google was very interested," Butti told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting in Cernobbio, Italy. We have started discussions about the possibility of setting up a base station in Sicily to support this project.

This project is important in the context of global digitization, especially in Southern Europe and the Middle East, as submarine cables play a crucial role in international internet connectivity. Currently, most of global internet traffic, which is about 95 to 99%, bypasses submarine cables, and nearly 16% of these traffic are concentrated in the Mediterranean Sea region.

This is not the first time Google has teamed up with an Italian company in an undersea cable project. Previously, Google had partnered withaire, Telecom Italia's submarine cable business unit (TIM). Through this partnership, the two companies operated two submarine cable systems connecting the Middle East with Southern Europe and Asia.

These projects are expected to strengthen digital infrastructure in the region and increase network capacity to meet increasing demand. Fast and stable connectivity is increasingly becoming a major necessity in today's digital era, especially in areas that play a strategic role in global data traffic such as the Mediterranean.

In October, the TIM also announced that it was in exclusive talks with the Italian Treasury Department and its partner, Asterion, to sellaire by the end of November. The Italian government seesaibe as a national strategic asset, given the importance of the role of submarine cables in ensuring the security and resilience of the country's telecommunications network.

"It takes the government's commitment to protect and develop strategic infrastructure such asaikobe, especially given its significance on a global scale," Butti added.

Google's plan to establish an infrastructure base in Sicily confirms Italy's position as a key player in technology infrastructure in the Mediterranean region. Given Sicily's strategic geographic location, the island has the potential to become the main center of the underwater fiber optic network that connects Europe, Asia and Africa. This can increase Italy's role in the digital economy and strengthen its technological sovereignty.

Undersea cables are the backbone of global telecommunications infrastructure, and with increasing demand for fast internet connectivity, investment in this cable network is becoming increasingly important. Italy hopes to optimize its geographical advantage through collaboration with global technology companies such as Google.

Negotiations between Google and the Italian government are still ongoing, and an official announcement regarding this deal is expected in the near future. If successful, the project will be an important milestone in the development of Italy's digital infrastructure and strengthen connectivity between Europe, Asia and Africa through the Mediterranean Sea