- Google’s undersea cables create resilient networks connecting India, the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere
- Expanding AI infrastructure depends on high-capacity fiber optic networks that span multiple continents
- Visakhapatnam is becoming an important international gateway for global data traffic flows
Google is expanding its private undersea cable footprint with a new initiative connecting the US and India through multiple routes in the southern hemisphere.
The plan, called America-India Connect, adds new fiber paths between Mumbai and Western Australia and between Visakhapatnam on India’s east coast and key international hubs.
When combined with existing systems such as Blue, Raman, Sol, Equiano and others, these routes expand data corridors across the Pacific, Africa and the Red Sea.
Building the missing links across continents
“We’re announcing America-India Connect, a collaborative infrastructure initiative … (that) will establish a new international undersea gateway … three new undersea paths … and four strategic fiber optic routes that strengthen network resilience and capacity between the United States, India and multiple locations across the Southern Hemisphere,” Google said in a blog post.
A new international undersea gateway in Visakhapatnam is expected to diversify traffic away from traditional entry points like Mumbai and Chennai.
Additional links to Singapore, South Africa and Australia are designed to increase redundancy and capacity.
Together, these routes connect the US West Coast through Australia to India, while strengthening a route from the US East Coast through Africa.
Google is already one of the largest private investors in undersea fiber networks, typically financing and designing projects that stretch thousands of kilometers under the sea.
These cables carry high-capacity global data traffic and form the backbone of cloud computing, digital services and cross-border business operations.
The initiative is anchored by a broader five-year $15 billion investment in AI-related infrastructure in India, which includes a planned AI hub in Visakhapatnam with large-scale computing capacity and integration with the new undersea gateway.
Business leaders argue that stronger infrastructure is needed to ensure reliable and affordable connectivity as AI systems expand.
Greater bandwidth and network resilience are often associated with improved productivity and long-term economic growth, and with deeper access to digital services, businesses and public institutions can deploy AI tools more broadly across sectors.
The stated goal is to reduce the risk of an AI divide where only certain regions or industries benefit from advanced computing resources.
Google has also committed funding through its philanthropic arm to support public services and research using artificial intelligence.
Executives describe India as a full-stack AI opportunity, citing its role as a user base, development hub and regulatory participant in shaping future standards.
These undersea investments follow established maritime trade routes – now transformed into digital highways between economies.
Whether this network truly completes the remaining gaps in global connectivity will depend on execution, regulatory stability and sustained demand.
But the scale of capital involved suggests confidence, and Google appears willing to invest additional funds.
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said at a press briefing, “AI is the biggest platform shift of our lifetime… It’s an extraordinary moment; we’re investing to meet the moment… (it’s) one of the most powerful tools for solving problems and improving lives on a planetary scale.”
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