Chile and Google signed an agreement to deploy the Humboldt Cable, a 14,800-kilometre submarine fibre-optic link planned between Valparaíso and Sydney through French Polynesia.

The partners described it as the first undersea data cable across the South Pacific connecting South America with Asia and Oceania. Deployment was planned for 2027, with installation, selection of a telecommunications operator and construction of landing stations still to come.

Chile was already connected to the United States and other regions by undersea infrastructure, but officials said Humboldt would create a more direct and resilient route. Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren presented the project as a way to diversify digital connections and expand international cooperation.

The system was also expected to reduce the time required to send data between the regions. Transport and Telecommunications Minister Juan Carlos Muñoz said lower latency could make a significant difference for services such as telemedicine. Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil were among the countries expected to benefit from improved regional connectivity.

The cable would not be reserved for Google. Cristian Ramos, Alphabet’s telecommunications infrastructure director for Latin America, said other technology companies operating in Chile would be able to use it.

Google did not disclose its total financial commitment. Patricio Rey, general manager of Chilean state infrastructure company Desarrollo País, estimated the project’s value at between $300 million and $550 million. Chile’s government was due to contribute $25 million. Those figures are estimates and commitments, not evidence that Google had already spent at least $300 million by the event date.

The partnership had been announced in January 2024, while the concept dated to 2016. Chile’s government previously said the cable was designed for a 25-year operating life and a capacity of 144 terabytes per second.

Officials hoped the connection would reinforce Chile’s role as a gateway for Asia-Pacific data and attract investment from technology, mining and financial companies. Rising demand for cloud computing was increasing the need for submarine capacity, but the project still faced the practical work required before its planned 2027 launch.