Google building Pacific fibre cable

Google is reportedly in negotiations to build a fibre optic cable across the Pacific to link its US operations with Asia.

Australian magazine Communications Day claimed that the search giant is in talks with Asian and Australian companies over the 'Unity' project to lay a Google-owned line from the west coast of the US to the Asian subcontinent.

The move would provide Google with substantial future cost savings, since it would give an 'at cost' link to the fastest growing internet population on the planet and reduce the company's dependence on third parties.

"Additional infrastructure for the internet is good for users and there are a number of proposals to add a Pacific submarine cable. We are not commenting on any of these plans," said a Google spokesman.

The proposed line could be in service by the end of 2009.

Up to 80 per cent of the world's communications are carried by undersea cables, the most advanced of which can transfer seven terabytes of data every second. There are five trans-pacific cables in operation and another one already planned.

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