Google to build longest Undersea Cable in the World

Why in News ?

Alphabet’s Google is all set to build world’s longest undersea cable connecting United States, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. This undersea cable will boost internet connection capacity in these regions.

About:

Undersea cable, called Firmina, will run from East Coast of United States to Las Toninas, Argentina along with additional landings in Praia Grande, Brazil, and Punta del Este, Uruguay. Announcement was made following a surge in demand for internet and cloud services amid covid-19 pandemic which has pushed online shopping, online entertainment, online and work from home culture.

Significance of Firmina

Firmina undersea cable will improve access to Google services for users in South America. It will comprise of 12 fibre pairs which will carry traffic quickly & securely between North & South America. It will thus provide the users fast, low-latency access to Google products like Gmail, Search, YouTube and Google Cloud services.