Google Cloud unveils three new subsea cables to connect the Americas

• Alisios, Canoa and OlaLuz cables to transform the Dominican Republic into a data hub
• Combined with existing infrastructure, cables will form part of the hyperscaler’s Americas Connect network infrastructure
• No timeline or capacity details have been shared

Google is adding to its global network infrastructure portfolio with the deployment of three new subsea cable systems that will connect datacentres across the Americas.

In a blog post attributed to Google Cloud VP of global network infrastructure, Brian Quigley, the tech giant unveiled plans to build three new cable systems that will have onward connectivity through its existing infrastructure in the region, and together will form what it is calling Americas Connect.

The Alisios subsea cable system has been named after the Spanish word for tropical trade winds and will connect the Dominican Republic, Panama, and Chile, and interlink with Google Cloud regions in the US East Coast, including those in South Carolina and Virginia (see the network map above).

Canoa, which comes from the Taino word for canoe, will link the Dominican Republic to Bermuda, and provide onwards connectivity to Europe (Portugal and Spain) through Google’s investments in the Nuvem and Sol cable systems. 

Canoa will also be connected to another new cable, OlaLuz, which will run from the Dominican Republic directly to Florida, and is named after the Spanish words for “wave” (Ola) and “light” (luz).

Google also revealed plans to introduce a new branch from the Dominican Republic to its Firmina cable system, which was announced in 2021 and which connects the East Coast of the US to Las Toninas, Argentina, with additional landings in Praia Grande, Brazil, and Punta del Este, Uruguay.

Google adds that in the Pacific, a subsea ring will create redundant paths connecting Chile to Panama with a third link from Panama to the US West Coast, providing connectivity to Google Cloud regions in Chile, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.

Google did not share any specifics about the capacity or suppliers for the cable systems, nor did it indicate the timeline that it expects them to be built or be ready for service. But it marks another significant investment for the cloud giant, which owns, or has invested in, more than 33 subsea cable projects worldwide. The investment from Google and other hyperscalers, such as Meta, Microsoft and Amazon, has been needed: According to a 2024 study from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), the proportion of international subsea capacity used by the four hyperscalers increased from 10% of the global total to 71% during the past decade.

Google has often partnered with telecom operators and wholesalers on subsea cable projects, though all of the existing cables in America Connect are wholly-owned by the American firm (or its subsidiaries). It did, though, partner with Telefónica’s Telxius to land the Sol cable at Santander, Spain.

The plans turn the Dominican Republic into a key transport hub for the region. Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona, President of the Dominican Republic, welcomed the announcement. He said: “The Dominican Republic is pleased to continue partnering with Google to bolster digital connectivity and innovation as part of Americas Connect.  Our participation in the Caribbean and Latin America telecommunications network allows us to join our partners in strengthening connectivity across the Americas, serving as an integral node in this expanding digital ecosystem.”

- James Pearce, Editor, TelecomTV