Bermuda to be landing point in new Google subsea cable

Tech giant Google has announced that Bermuda will be a landing point for a new subsea cable connecting Portugal and the US.

Nuvem - Portuguese for Cloud – will be a new transatlantic subsea cable system connecting Portugal, Bermuda, and the US.

It is expected to come into service in 2026.

David Robles, Global Subsea Construction Lead, Google said: “Just as trade routes and highways have helped communities thrive throughout history, subsea cables bring digital commerce and productivity benefits that Bermuda is well-positioned to reap. We look forward to working with Bermuda on the Nuvem cable project as part of a long-term partnership to ensure this investment delivers lasting benefits to Bermuda’s digital future.”

Google said that over the last few years, the Government of Bermuda has undertaken significant efforts to attract investment in subsea cable infrastructure and create a digital Atlantic hub — including passing new legislation to create cable corridors and streamline permitting.

Nuvem will not only be the first cable to land under this robust environment, but the first to directly connect Bermuda with Europe.

Bermuda has three subsea cables connecting it to the US, one of which, Globenet, then connects with Latin America. A separate cable joins Bermuda with the Caribbean.

The island was one of the first in the world to be linked by a fibreoptic cable in 1989 when Cable & Wireless laid a spur to Bermuda from its PTAT-1 cable between the US and the UK. The cable ceased operations in 2004.

"Bermuda has long been committed to the submarine cable market, and we welcome the Nuvem cable to our fast-growing digital Atlantic hub," said Walter Roban, Bermuda Deputy Premier and Minister of Home Affairs. “Bermuda looks forward to working with Google on its cable project — and on building a broader partnership to leverage the benefits of the investment in digital infrastructure."

On the US end, Nuvem will land in South Carolina. The cable’s arrival will further establish the state as a growing technology centre, increasing connectivity and job diversification. Nuvem will follow in the footsteps of Firmina, which landed in South Carolina earlier this year and that will ultimately connect with Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.

“The additional cable connecting to South Carolina reaffirms our state's position as a leader in cutting-edge technologies,” Governor Henry McMaster said. “We celebrate Google's continued investments in digital infrastructure and look forward to seeing the positive economic impacts across the state and the globe.”

Expected to be ready for service in 2026, Nuvem will add capacity, increase reliability, and decrease latency for Google users and Google Cloud customers around the world. Alongside Firmina and Equiano, it will create important new data corridors connecting North America, South America, Europe, and Africa — serving as the underwater roots that strengthen the intercontinental network lattice while bringing together people and economies around the world.

David Hart, Bermuda Business Development Agency CEO said: “All of Bermuda joins us in welcoming Google here. Approximately 95% of the world’s communications is carried on submarine cable networks and Bermuda’s Atlantic location makes us the ideal landfall and interconnection point for submarine cables between the Americas, Europe, and Africa. Bermudians can take pride in our new role as an international data transit switch, providing increased network resiliency to countries on both sides of the Atlantic for decades to come, as well as exciting new career opportunities.”

Mr. Robles will be guest speaker at the BDA’s fifth annual Bermuda Tech Summit on 10 October on a special panel entitled: ‘Building Bridges, Transatlantic Tech.’