Rumor Control: Is Google Laying Pacific Cable?

A report from an Australian trade news service, Communications Day, has rekindled speculation that Google is interested in becoming a major telecom player. The article mentions a consortium of telecom companies, led by Google, that are working on a new trans-Pacific undersea cable called "Unity." The aim, according to Communications Day, is to have a cable in place by 2009.

Google itself would theoretically own a large portion of the multi-terabit cable, giving the company a leg up on rival internet companies by providing significant cost advantage for trans-Pacific data transmission.

Google spokesman Barry Schnitt remained tight-lipped about the company's plan and would only say that Google is interested in a Pacific cable.

"Additional infrastructure for the internet is good for users and there are a number of proposals to add a Pacific submarine cable. We're not commenting on any of these plans," Schnitt said in a Google statement.

http://blog.wired.com/business/2007/09/rumor-control-g.html