Google and Orange Build a Submarine Cable Connecting the US and France

What This Means for the Global Economy

Orange has teamed up with Google to construct and install an undersea cable connecting the Atlantic coasts of France and the United States. The cable will span 4,101 miles and will enable speeds of 30 terabits per second per fiber—the equivalent of downloading a 1GB movie in 30 seconds. The project is slated to complete in 2020.

Google builds cables like this around the world to provide better performance, latency and capacity for its global cloud customers. And building the cable privately allows Google to ensure that its landing points are close to its data centers.

Stéphane Richard, the chairman and CEO of Orange, commented, “The role of submarine cables is often overlooked, despite their central role at the heart of our digital world.” He’s completely right. Obviously connecting the world—making it smaller and more navigable—is positive. Life is all about connection. The more connected we are, the more bandwidth we have to pursue and explore opportunities. What many people don’t understand is how projects like this develop countries and ultimately amplify the global economy.

This project will allow:

  1. New data centers to exist

This will create jobs and the infrastructure needed to house information and run business-critical applications in previously remote areas.

  1. Corporations to view new locations as destinations

Increased computing power in new locations means that corporations can build offices and perform business in places they couldn’t before, presenting the opportunity to increase their global footprint.

  1. Connection to knowledge workers overseas

High-speed network bandwidth in remote areas enables new talent to play on the global stage.

  1. Increased revenue overseas

This project literally connects the world, which allows global players to lean more heavily on overseas partnerships.

Technology Literally Connects Us

The partnership between Orange and Google is one example of how technology literally connects us.

It also puts both companies in a stronger position to support consumers and enterprise customers across Europe and America. And Google is not stopping there. It has another seven cables coming online over the next two years, connecting Hong Kong, Guam, Australia, Ireland, Denmark and California. These new connections on a global scale should excite business professionals everywhere. It shows us that the sky (or the sea) is not the limit.

If you want ideas on how to improve your internet connection locally, read our blog about boosting network performance.