The Google/US Government Pacific Subsea Cable Power Play

The planned Bulikala cable connects Google's modular prefabricated Guam CLS to Fiji. It is a part of a grand plan to dramatically increase Pacific subsea throughput and resiliency via a web of island hopping fibre optic cables. These small islands offer diverse network routing. They also offer power, which is the gating factor for throughput over long distances.

Bulikala deployment is well underway with a branch recently landing on Tuvalu island, which has only satellite connectivity. The branch is a joint project of Google and the island's PTT. Most Pacific islands are poor due to limited resources, geographic isolation, and poor digital connectivity. They are also threatened by rising water due to global warming. Even the Hawaii island chain is relatively poor with Honolulu being surprisingly run down. 

There is a mighty power play at work here. The US government provides aid to these islands sprinkled across the Pacific Ocean for their on-land digital infrastructure while Google delivers subsea connectivity. Not a coincidence, but a coordinated strategy to create a web of Western friendly states. Google gets the electricity to boost transmission rates as well as excellent network physical diversity to improve resiliency. The US government gets friendly states that will take its side in any major conflict with China. Those small islands offer intelligence gathering sites where early warning systems could be installed. Indeed, some may qualify at military base real estate or fueling depots. In general, the US government under Biden has outflanked China whose territorial water disputes with virtually all its neighbors has alienated the region. 

The Pentagon is concerned that defending Taiwan and other Pacific Rim states is extremely difficult given their proximity to China. So it is necessary for the US to have a large number of bases outside the reach of mainland Chinese missiles. Indeed, American forces are being dispersed throughout the Pacific Ocean to ensure a greater percentage survive Chinese missile strikes. Geographic diversification is key to military success. 

Biden deserves credit for executing on Obama's Asia pivot. The US has earned a very valuable intangible asset, good will. In contrast, China is threatening a Taiwan invasion to distract its own population from its internal woes. These woes include a drop in annual growth in the last 10 years from 10% per annum to 4.5% per annum. Not to mention, a rapidly aging population whose average age will be 50 by mid-century. Chinese government belligerence includes harassing the Philippines using its mercantile fleet to engage in swarm tactics. Finally, China has claimed the South China Sea which the International Court has ruled is international waters. I believe the region increasingly understands that China wants to dominate the region.