MANILA, Philippines – Google, along with 5 Asian telecommunications companies, are working on building a trans-pacific cable network carrying data at a speed of 60 terabits per second (Tbps).

A Reuters report notes that Google, China Mobile International, China Telecom Global, Global Transit, KDDI, and SingTel, are investing US$300 million in the project, called FASTER. 

The FASTER project will connect Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco, Oregon and Seattle in the US to Japan’s Chikura and Shima. The project is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2016.

On Google+, Urs Hölzle, Google senior vice president of technical infrastructure,  noted that the 60Tbps design capacity is around 10 million times faster than a single cable modem connection.

“Along with our previous investments – UNITY in 2008 and SJC (South-East Asia Japan Cable) in 2011, FASTER will make the internet, well, faster and more reliable for our users in Asia,” he said.

Woohyong Choi, chairman of the FASTER executive committee, added: “FASTER is one of a few hundred submarine telecommunications cables connecting various parts of the world. These cables collectively form an important infrastructure that helps run global Internet and communications.”

“The FASTER cable system has the largest design capacity ever built on the Trans-Pacific route, which is one of the longest routes in the world,” Choi continued.

“The agreement announced today will benefit all users of the global Internet.” – Rappler.com