Google announced that it plans to make a $1 billion investment to further expand its Central Pacific Connect Initiative, which includes delivering two new subsea cables, Proa and Taihei.

A press release said that the partners for the two new cable systems include Japanese telecom operators KDDI and ARTERIA, the Private Equity firm Citadel Pacific, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). NEC will deliver both cable systems.

Per the release, Proa, which is named after the traditional sailing canoes of the Mariana Islands, will become the first of two subsea cables to land in the CNMI as it crosses between Japan, Guam and the U.S. In addition to Proa, the Taiwan-Philippines-U.S. (TPU) cable, which is also owned by Google, will be extended to the CNMI.

The Tabua cable, which is to be supplied by SubCom and be operational in 2026, will now be extended to Hawaii. It will add an extra stop on its route from the U.S. to Fiji and Australia. The Central Pacific Connect initiative was launched in October 2023, with the Honomoana and Tabua cables announced as the first two projects. Earlier this year Google expanded the initiative with the announcement of the Bulikula and Halaihai cables.

In addition to its cables connecting East Asia with the west coast of the U.S., Google will fund construction of an interlink cable connecting Hawaii, the CNMI, and Guam in the Pacific. This interlink will connect the transpacific routes, improving their reliability and reducing latency for users in the Pacific Islands and around the world.

Google and KDDI have a long history of collaboration on submarine cables, including cable landings in Japan. CEO Makoto Takahashi said he was delighted his firm was partnering once again with Google.

Until Google’s Topaz cable arrived in Takahagi, the region had not had a new cable land for twenty years. ARTERIA supported the landing of Topaz and leveraging the same landing facilities will expand its partnership with Google to support the new cable. “Connectivity between Tokyo, the heart of the Internet in Japan, and overseas has been concentrated in Minamiboso,” said Tatsuya Abe, CEO of ARTERIA Corporation. He noted that the Ibaraki region, which includes Takahagi where the Taihei cable will land, has been somewhat neglected.

Citadel Pacific owns IT&E, the largest wireless provider in Micronesia. Citadel Pacific CEO Jim Beighley said the new cables would allow IT&E to deliver significantly expanded internet services to the residents of the islands it serves. “The CNMI will be directly connected to international networks for the first time in history,” he said.

AFL recently reported that it plans to invest more than $50 million to expand its fiber optic cable manufacturing operations in South Carolina.

A press release said that the investment aligns with the Biden-Harris administration’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Internet for All initiatives to increase broadband access in the U.S. It will result in the creation of new jobs and support AFL’s portfolio of products compliant with the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA).

The investment will be used to increase production capacity and support the development of new fiber optic cable solutions. The announcement builds on AFL’s previous investment of more than $35 million in the expansion of domestic cable manufacturing to support broadband deployment and modernization of the power grid. The expansions continue AFL’s four-decade long commitment to job creation and U.S. manufacturing.

Key highlights of the latest expansion include increased production capacity to meet the surging demand for fiber optic cable; creation of new jobs at AFL’s manufacturing facilities, boosting the local economy; development of innovative and sustainable fiber optic cable solutions; and a commitment to using U.S.-made materials and supporting the domestic supply chain.

AFL CEO and President Jaxon Lang said that the news reflects the company’s focus on providing products that are essential for multiple goals. “This expansion highlights AFL’s commitment to providing an end-to-end BABA-compliant cable and connectivity portfolio for our valued U.S. customers and represents a significant milestone toward AFL’s ongoing contribution to a stronger, more connected future for all communities across the country.”

Founded in 1984 and cased in Spartanburg, South Carolina, AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. Its products are in use in more than 130 countries.

LS Eco Energy—a subsidiary of South Korea’s LS Cable & System—announced that it has signed a business agreement with the Institute of Energy of Vietnam (IEV) under the Vietnam Electricity Authority (EVN) for a superconducting cable project. Of note, LS Cable & System Asia changed its name to LS Eco Energy to pursue new businesses in submarine cables and rare-earth elements.

Per an article at businesskorea.co.kr, the two parties plan to establish a cooperative system to apply superconducting cables to the Vietnamese power grid and explore business opportunities. Superconducting cables, first commercialized domestically by LS Cable in 2019, use the superconducting phenomenon where electrical resistance disappears at low temperatures, maximizing transmission efficiency. In case of power expansion due to overload, replacing the cable alone can increase transmission capacity by more than five times.

When building new cities, the construction cost of electrical ducts, which are about three meters high, can be reduced to less than 1/20th by replacing them with conduits approximately one meter in size. The technology minimizes environmental impact by needing fewer and smaller substations and transmission towers.

Per IEV, Vietnam is set to face a surge in power demand and consumption over the coming decade, which will have an impact on its energy security. The government of Vietnam expects power consumption to grow 10-12 % annually through 2030, one of the fastest power consumption growth rates in Asia.

NKT plans to invest up to €100 million in additional production capacity and capabilities at its medium-voltage factories in Denmark, Sweden and Czech Republic to meet growing demand from customers for medium-voltage power cables required for grid upgrades and renewable energy projects across Europe.

A press release said that the medium-voltage power cable market has grown steadily in recent years driven by the transition to renewable energy and the continued electrification of societies. Electrical grid operators are in the process of conducting major upgrade projects to keep apace. In response, NKT is investing in additional medium-voltage capacity and capabilities spread across three of its production sites in Asnaes, Denmark; Falun, Sweden; and Velke Meziříčí, Czech Republic. The investments in Falun and Velke Meziříčí have started while the investment in Asnaes is now initiated.

“NKT is well positioned ... to strengthen our position as a key partner to our customers in the green transition of societies,” said NKT EVP Head of Applications Carlos Fernandez. “As more renewable projects come online, a major upgrade of the European power grid is needed. Current medium-voltage production and installation capacity is not sufficient to meet the increasing demand in the market. The investments will support NKTs continued growth journey in line with our strategic ambitions and enable vital grid upgrades and renewables projects across Europe.”

In recent years, the Applications business line has optimized its factory footprint across geographies to increase efficiency and specialization. With this process successfully completed, focus has shifted towards expansion of the medium-voltage sites. The investments will add 20-110 kV production capacity and capabilities and further progress layout optimizations of the factories.

The investments across the three sites will strengthen NKTs market leading position. The new production capacity is anticipated to be progressively operational in 2025 and 2026 and the investments will lead to the additional recruitment of around 150 new colleagues. The investments are expected to support NKT’s medium-term financial ambitions including delivering RoCE above 20%.