The Whole World Will Be Connected Via An Underwater Cable Made By Facebook And Google

Internet cable network will soon circle the world. (photo: Possesed Photography / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Remember the underwater cable project made by Facebook and Google? Yes, now the two are reportedly building an underwater internet cable around the world dubbed Apricot.

The cable is built along 12 thousand kilometers that connects various countries. These include Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan. Later, Apricot will be able to provide internet with 4G, 5G, and broadband services.

According to Facebook Network Investment Manager, Nico Roehrich, Apricot's cable network has an initial capacity of 190 terabits per second to serve the high data demand rates in Asia Pacific.

"Apricot Cable, part of our efforts to expand global network infrastructure and provide better services to the more than 3.5 million people worldwide who use our services," said Roehrich as quoted by the NYPost, Friday, August 20.

Roehrich explained that the project will complement another submarine cable connecting Singapore, Indonesia and North America which was first launched jointly by Facebook and Google this March, and in collaboration with several Asian telecommunications companies.

Apricot is targeted for completion in 2024. This submarine cable will also complement other cable systems that Google announced earlier this year, namely the Echo and Bifrost. The Echo cable connects Singapore, Guam, Indonesia and the United States (US).

"The Echo and Apricot cables are complementary underwater systems that will offer benefits with multiple routes in and out of Asia, including a unique route through south Asia, ensuring a much higher level of resilience for Google Cloud and digital services," said Google Global Vice President, Bikash Koley.

Echo and Bifrost cables will provide lower latency for businesses and startups in Asia, as well as more bandwidth and increased resilience in connectivity between Southeast Asia, North Asia and the US.

Meanwhile, Facebook is also expanding a 23,000-mile submarine cable project that will encircle the entire African continent and connect to Europe. Dubbed 2Africa, the cable is designed to connect 26 countries including Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In an effort to bring the internet to Africa, Facebook also created a $200 million satellite designed to broadcast internet to the continent. Facebook also added Angola and the island nations of the Seychelles and the Comoros in the Indian Ocean to the project.