Google officially launched its new transatlantic submarine cable, Nuvem, which connects Myrtle Beach in the United States to Sines. The infrastructure aims to increase the resilience of digital communications across the North Atlantic and is expected to be fully operational by 2027.
The proposed submarine power cable connecting Portugal and Morocco will proceed only if secured through private investment or European Union funding, according to the Portuguese Minister of Environment.
The Portuguese government has unveiled its National Data Centre Plan to boost digital infrastructure investment, receiving cautious optimism from industry experts who emphasize the critical need for effective execution.
Submarine cables connecting the American continent to Europe pass through the Azores. The new centre in Faial and the new frigates will be essential. Editorial by Helena Pereira
The Schwarz group, owner of the Lidl and Kaufland supermarket chains, will invest 5.6 billion euros in the construction of a data centre near Rostock, in northern Germany, which will be powered by wind energy. The Schwarz group announced this Thursday that it plans to build a data centre with a capacity of 240 megawatts by 2033. “Digital sovereignty is not achieved through appeals or speeches. It is conquered with actions, reliable infrastructure, and practical applications,” said Schwarz group CEO Gerd Chrzanowski. The owner of Lidl and Kaufland is already building a data centre in Lübbenau, Brandenburg, near Berlin, to meet the company's own needs, a project that will receive an investment of 11 billion euros, the largest single investment in the company's history. The Schwarz group, which employs 600,000 people worldwide, is known for its Lidl and Kaufland supermarkets, but also owns an IT services division called Schwarz Digits, which offers cybersecurity and cloud services. Schwarz wants to position itself as a European alternative to technology consortia from other continents. Data centre capacity in Portugal rises by 23%, placing the country in the global top 10.
The company plans to install three new submarine cables in the Caribbean and the Pacific. The links will be interconnected with existing routes that pass through the Azores and Sines.
Google announced this Tuesday, August 12, a digital infrastructure project called 'Americas Connect', which involves installing three new submarine cables in the Caribbean and the Pacific to strengthen connectivity between America, the Caribbean region, and Europe. The new infrastructure includes the 'Alisios' cable, connecting the Dominican Republic, Panama, and Chile; the 'Canoa' cable, linking the Dominican Republic to Bermuda; and the 'OlaLuz' cable, which will connect the Caribbean island to Florida in the southern United States. Additionally, Google will extend the 'Firmina' submarine cable to the Dominican Republic, expanding the reach of this infrastructure designed to connect North and South America. Existing submarine routes—'Curie', 'Nuvem', and 'Sol'—will be interconnected with the new paths to create redundant network rings towards the United States and Europe. In the Pacific, a submarine ring will create redundant routes linking Chile to Panama, along with a third connection between the Central American country and the US West Coast, providing connectivity to Google Cloud regions in Chile, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. Through the Caribbean Sea, the 'Alisios' cable will run from Panama to the Dominican Republic, also connecting via a ring to the US East Coast and Google Cloud regions in South Carolina and Virginia. In the Atlantic, the 'Canoa' cable will be interconnected with the 'Nuvem' and 'Sol' cables via rings towards both the United States and Madrid, providing connectivity between Europe and America. This project aims to improve the reach, reliability, and resilience of connectivity by providing diversity in submarine cable routes.
“Americas Connect” is the name of the project that includes the Alisios, Canoa, and OlaLuz cables, creating redundant network rings between the Americas, Europe, and Google Cloud.
The town of Sines has been selected as the landing point for a new Google transatlantic submarine cable, reinforcing Portugal's strategic position in global connectivity.