Google Grows Central Pacific Connect with New Cables
Google plans to invest $1 billion to expand its Central Pacific Connect Initiative with two new subsea cables, Proa and Taihei. This expansion strengthens connectivity between East Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the west coast of the U.S., and supports long-term regional digital growth.
Google partnered with Japanese telecom operators KDDI and ARTERIA Corporation, private equity firm Citadel Pacific, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) on these new systems. NEC will supply both cable systems, further extending its role as a global subsea cable supplier.
Proa Cable Connects CNMI to Global Networks
Google named the Proa cable after the traditional sailing canoes of the Mariana Islands to reflect the region’s heritage and its new digital future. Proa will become the first of two subsea cables to land directly in the CNMI as it connects Japan, Guam, and the U.S.
In addition, Google will extend its Taiwan–Philippines–U.S. (TPU) subsea cable to the CNMI. Together, Proa and TPU will give the islands their first direct connection to major international networks, improving resilience and supporting faster, more reliable internet services.
Citadel Pacific, owner of IT&E—the largest wireless provider in Micronesia—plans to leverage these new routes to significantly expand internet capacity for residents across the islands. CEO Jim Beighley emphasized that the CNMI will gain direct international connectivity for the first time in its history.
Taihei and Tabua Strengthen Transpacific Routes
The Taihei cable will land in the Ibaraki region of Japan, including Takahagi, an area that had seen little new subsea investment for decades. ARTERIA helped support the landing of Google’s Topaz cable in Takahagi and will now build on that experience to partner again with Google on Taihei.
ARTERIA CEO Tatsuya Abe noted that connectivity between Tokyo and overseas destinations has historically concentrated in Minamiboso. By routing Taihei through Ibaraki, Google and ARTERIA help diversify and strengthen Japan’s international connectivity.
Google also plans to extend the Tabua cable—supplied by SubCom and expected to be operational in 2026—to include Hawaii on its route between the U.S., Fiji, and Australia. This additional landing will enhance route diversity and resilience across the broader Pacific region.
Interlink Routes Anchor Google Central Pacific Connect Subsea Cables
Google launched the Central Pacific Connect Initiative in October 2023 with the Honomoana and Tabua cables as its first projects. Earlier this year, Google expanded the initiative further by announcing the Bulikula and Halaihai cables, demonstrating its long-term commitment to regional subsea infrastructure.
As part of this expansion, Google will also fund an interlink cable that connects Hawaii, the CNMI, and Guam. This interlink will tie multiple transpacific routes together, improve network reliability, and reduce latency for users across the Pacific Islands and worldwide.
Google and KDDI share a long history of working together on submarine cable systems, including multiple cable landings in Japan. KDDI CEO Makoto Takahashi expressed his enthusiasm for partnering again with Google to enhance international connectivity in the region.