Although many may assume the internet is something ethereal, floating through the air, the reality is that somewhere between 95 to 99 percent of the world’s data is carried via underwater cables. International emails, WhatsApp calls, video games, and live streaming are all made possible by fiber optic cables on ocean floors. And with the upcoming wave of 5G internet connection, these subsea cables will become even more important.
For that reason alone, it is no wonder that tech companies spend millions laying them.
Google is one such company, recently announcing the extension of its subsea cable in South America, Tannat. The underwater cable was activated in late 2018 as a partnership between the tech giant and Uruguay’s government-owned telecom company Antel. It currently runs for 2,000 kilometers between Brazil and Uruguay, and is expected to expand to Argentina by 2020.
Tannat isn’t Google’s only underwater cable going through Brazil. Its...
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