Humboldt Cable
| Humboldt Cable | |
|---|---|
| Owners: Google, Chile | |
| Landing points Valparaíso, Chile | |
| Total length | 14,800 km |
| Date of first use | 2027 (expected) |
Humboldt Cable is a planned fiber optic submarine communications cable that will connect Chile with Australia, becoming the first-ever link between South America and the Asia-Pacific region.[1][2][3]
As of 2025[update], the plan is to build a 14,800-kilometre (9,200 mi) cable from Valparaiso, Chile, to Sydney, Australia, via French Polynesia.[4][5]
History
[edit | edit source]The proposal for a direct fiber-optic link between South America and Asia was introduced during Michelle Bachelet's second administration in Chile, between 2014 and 2016.[6] In 2017, Chile's Undersecretariat of Telecommunications (Subtel), with support from the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), conducted a pre-feasibility study with China's Huawei, which identified three possible routes from Chile, all terminating in Shanghai: Auckland–Sydney–Shanghai, Tahiti–Shanghai, and Auckland–Shanghai.[7] These studies identified the Valparaíso-Sydney route as the optimal option.[8][9]
In 2018, Australia banned Huawei from participating in its planned 5G networks.[10] In 2019, the Chilean government received political pressure from the United States, including a visit from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to refrain from contracting Huawei for 5G technology, as part of a Washington campaign "against the Chinese company and the risk of Beijing collecting sensitive data."[7]
In 2021, the Chilean stated-owned enterprise Desarrollo País assumed leadership of the project, launching an international request for proposals the following year to validate the updated system costs. Two years later, a memorandum of understanding was signed with Google, laying the foundation for the partnership.[9][11]
Following the 2024 Leaders' Summit of the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, held in the United States,[3] the partnership was first announced by the Chilean government in January 2024. it stated that the cable would have a capacity of 144 terabytes per second and a lifespan of 25 years.[1] In June 2025, Chile and Google signed an agreement to install the submarine fiber-optic cable. Operations are expected to begin in 2027.[12]
Investment and ownership
[edit | edit source]As of June 2025[update], Google has invested between $300 million and $550 million in the project, while the Chilean government had committed $25 million.[1] Desarrollo País and Google will each hold a 50% stake in the joint venture.[13]
Among the benefits, the cable promises more robust and stable internet connections, as well as efficient exchange of scientific data between South America and the Asia-Pacific region.[14] Latin American governments—including Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil— have also expressed interest in participating in the initial phase of the project.[12]
Proposed landing points
[edit | edit source]- Valparaíso, Chile[5]
- French Polynesia
- Sydney, Australia
References
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