Google has announced a significant investment in the Pacific region with the construction of a data center in Fiji, with a budget of FJ$200 million (US$89.4 million). This facility, which will mark a milestone in the island’s technological infrastructure, will be accompanied by the installation of four new submarine cables, thereby strengthening connectivity in the region.
Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister, Manoa Kamikamica, revealed the news in a YouTube video with Vijay Narayan. Kamikamica emphasized that Google’s arrival in Fiji represents a “serious opportunity” for the island to become a key regional hub for the Pacific. Although specific details about the location of the data center have not been disclosed, Kamikamica assured that it will be situated on Fijian territory.
Google’s investment in connectivity infrastructure is not limited to the data center. The company is also developing four submarine cables to improve Fiji’s international connectivity. These cables will include:
Bulkula: will connect Fiji and Guam.
South Pacific Connect Interlink: will establish a connection between Fiji and French Polynesia.
Tabua: will link Australia, Fiji, and the United States.
These three submarine cables, owned by Google, will be operational by 2026. The fourth cable, for which specific details have not yet been provided, will complement this high-capacity network.
Currently, Fiji only has one operational submarine cable, the Southern Cross Next, which connects the United States with Australia. The projected expansion with the installation of Google’s new cables represents a crucial advancement in the island’s connectivity, which has so far lacked hyperscale data centers, according to DataCenterMap.
With this initiative, Google is not only strengthening digital infrastructure in Fiji but also positioning the island as a strategic node in the global communications network, which could boost its economic and technological development in the coming years.
Source: DCD.