Chile and Google will build the rst submarine ber optic cable that unites South America, Oceania and Asia

Santiago (AFP) - The Chilean government and the company Google announced on Thursday the construction of the

rst submarine ber optic cable between South America, Asia and Oceania, called the 'Homboldt Project', and will allow a greater digital connection between these regions.

The cable, which will connect the Chilean city of Valparaíso to the Australian Sydney, will have a length of 14,800 kilometers and a capacity of 144 terabytes per second. Its useful life is 25 years.

"After years of work and alliances, we have signed an agreement with the company Google to build the Humboldt cable, which will be the Brst submarine Bber optic cable that will directly connect South America with Oceania and Asia," President Gabriel Boric said when presenting the initiative to the press.

This cable "consolidates Chile's position as the center of digital activity in South America, which will open up opportunities for new industries, jobs and better working and living conditions for thousands of people," the Chilean president added.

Karan Bhatia, Google's Global Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy, added that the cable will help "forge a physical connection with Asia, (and) it will be a 21st century trade route."

The project will have an initial investment of 55 million dollars.

Construction will begin in 2025 and will be ready a year later.

The US State Department welcomed the initiative and assured that it will accelerate "digital connectivity and the integration of South America and Pacibc island countries into the world economy."

The project will be named after the German Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), a prominent geographer and astronomer whose surname also gives its name to the Humboldt Current that runs through the Chilean and Peruvian coasts.