Google is planning a subsea cable to connect Portugal, Bermuda, and the United States.
The cable, named Nuvem after the Portuguese word for "cloud," is expected to be ready for service in 2026.
Details surrounding the total length of the cable, investment required in the project, number of fiber pairs, and design capacity have not yet been shared.
Google's current Equiano cable offers 12 fiber pairs and a design capacity of 150Tbps, and its in-progress Firmina cable's main trunk will have 16 fiber pairs with a design capacity of 240Tbps, according to Dgtl Infra.
The cable will be the first to connect Bermuda with Europe. The Government of Bermuda has been working to encourage investment in subsea cable infrastructure, including passing legislation that creates cable corridors and simplifies the permitting process.
“The Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA) welcomes the announcement by Google that Bermuda will be the home of a new transatlantic cable on the path to becoming a digital hub of the Atlantic,” said David Hart, CEO, Bermuda Business Development Agency.
"The BDA has long advocated that Bermuda’s centrality makes it an ideal landfall and interconnection point for submarine cables between the Americas, Europe, and Africa and we are so excited these efforts have borne fruit.”
In Europe, Nuvem will land in Portugal, which is already home to the Google-owned Equiano cable connecting Europe with Togo, Nigeria, Namibia, South Africa, and St. Helena, covering 15,000km.
Randi Charno Levine, US ambassador to Portugal, said: “Subsea cables serve as the backbone of global communication, linking continents and facilitating the exchange of data, information, and ideas worldwide. The addition of a new subsea cable enhances the resilience of our communications infrastructure while improving internet affordability. This is a crucial factor for economic development, education, and social inclusion.”
On the other end, Nuvem will connect to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. Another Google subsea cable - Firmina - landed in South Carolina earlier this year and will go on to connect to Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, spanning a total of 13,500km. Also landing at the Myrtle Beach State Park is the Meta cable connecting to Spain. Both the new Google cables and the Meta cable will then make their way to DC Blox's data center in the International Technology and Aerospace Park which is scheduled to open on October 10.
According to local officials in South Carolina, the three cables will generate more than $90 million in capital investment for the landing station.
