Google has launched Topaz, a new submarine cable, the first of its kind to connect Asia and Canada.
When completed, Topaz will run from Vancouver to the small town of Port Alberni on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and across the Pacific Ocean to Mie and Ibaraki prefectures in Japan.
Google is spearheading this project with local partners in Japan and Canada to deliver the complete Topaz submarine cable system. Other network and Internet service providers will be able to benefit from the additional capacity of the cable like other Google cables, and partners with similar routing systems will be able to exchange fiber pairs.
The Topaz cable will accommodate 16 fiber pairs with a total capacity of 240 Tb/s. It includes support for Wavelength Selective Switching (WSS), a software-defined way to divide the spectrum on fiber pairs for routing flexibility and advanced resiliency.
The Topaz cable is being built next to the traditional territories of Hupacasath, Maa-nulth and Tseshaht, and we have consulted and collaborated with these native peoples every step of the way.
The cable is expected to be operational by 2023.
