en.Wedoany.com Reported - Recently, the Chilean government disclosed that relevant agencies in the Valparaíso Region have approved the installation plan for US Google's Humboldt submarine fiber optic cable system within Chile. The project, which plans to connect to the Pacific submarine communication network from Santo Domingo, Chile, involves an investment of approximately $11.5 million. It will build submarine fiber optic routes linking Chile, Sydney (Australia), and Panama City, serving data transmission needs between South America and the Asia-Pacific region. According to the project description released by the Chilean government, the system includes 16 fiber pairs and will connect Santo Domingo, Chile, with Sydney, Australia.
The Humboldt submarine cable is a core infrastructure project for Chile to advance trans-Pacific digital connectivity. In 2024, US Google announced that the Humboldt cable would connect Chile, French Polynesia, and Australia, marking the first submarine fiber optic cable route directly linking South America with the Asia-Pacific region. US Google stated that the project will enhance the reliability and resilience of digital connectivity in the Pacific region and interconnect with its South Pacific Connect related cable system.
Based on the disclosed route, the project includes two main submarine fiber optic channels: one connecting Santo Domingo, Chile, to Sydney, Australia, with a cable length of approximately 14,800 kilometers and configured with 16 fiber pairs; the other connecting Santo Domingo, Chile, to Panama City, with a cable length of about 6,500 kilometers, also configured with 16 fiber pairs. Together, these two channels form Chile's data exchange gateway facing the Pacific and the Americas, providing Chile with international communication paths beyond the traditional North American direction.
This project is not merely about adding an internet route. Submarine cables carry the majority of global cross-border data transmission tasks, directly impacting cloud computing, data centers, financial transactions, scientific research data exchange, and cross-border enterprise services. Chile has long sought to establish a direct fiber optic channel connecting to the Asia-Pacific region. With the participation of US Google, Chile's national infrastructure company Desarrollo País, and the French Polynesian Post and Telecommunications Office (OPT), the project route extends from South America to the South Pacific and Australia, further strengthening Chile's positioning as a digital gateway for Latin America.
The project is expected to enter the operational phase around 2027. Reuters previously reported that US Google has signed an agreement with the Chilean government to build a trans-Pacific submarine data cable approximately 14,800 kilometers long, connecting Chile with Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. The cable is planned for deployment in 2026 and to become operational in 2027. Following the approval, subsequent steps still require final concessions, landing station construction, cable laying, system testing, and commercial operation preparations.
For Chile, the approval of the Humboldt submarine cable means its trans-Pacific communication infrastructure has entered a more concrete implementation phase. Once the project is completed, data transmission between Chile and the Asia-Pacific region will no longer rely entirely on routes passing through North America, helping to enhance international communication redundancy and providing more direct network support for cloud services, mining data, astronomical observations, scientific research collaboration, and regional data center construction. The actual operational timeline of the project will still depend on construction progress and regulatory permit outcomes.
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