Work has begun on the construction of Google’s new transatlantic subsea cable system, connecting the US and Europe to the Caribbean country of Bermuda.
Taking its name from the Portuguese word for ‘cloud’, Nuvem, is the first to connect Bermuda with Europe and will become active as of 2026.
The project aims to improve the strength and reliability across the Atlantic to meet increased demand for digital services and improve route diversity.
Bermuda has recently made significant headway in attracting investment in submarine cable infrastructure as part of a wider aim to create a digital hub for storing and processing data.
New legislation has also been passed to support this development, which will allow for the development of “cable corridors” and streamline permitting.
Due to its prime location on the southwest shores of the continent, Portugal has become a European landing hub for subsea cables. The construction of this new cable network comes as the country promotes increased focus on strengthening digital economy infrastructure.
Stateside, Nuvem will connect the company’s existing cable structure Firmina to South Carolina, increasing job diversification and connectivity as the state grows as a technology center for the US. In turn this will connect the US with the South American nations of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Ultimately, Nuvem’s new high-capacity data corridor between the three continents will add capacity, reliability and decrease latency for Google’s users and cloud customers internationally.