Google has signed an agreement that will provide the first submarine fiber optic cable that will link South America directly to Asia and Oceania.

A press release said that the project, known as the Humboldt Project, calls for a 14,800-km cable that will deliver a capacity of 144 terabytes per second. It will run from Valparaiso, Chile, to Sydney, Australia, via French Polynesia. The system is designed for open access, allowing use by Google and other technology companies operating in the region. “The idea of building this cable is that it can also be used not only by Google but also by other users,” said Cristian Ramos, director of telecommunications infrastructure for Latin America at Alphabet, Google’s parent company.

Currently, Chile’s international digital connections rely on undersea cables routed primarily through the United States. The Humboldt Project will provide a faster, more direct alternative, benefiting not only Chile but also Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil.

While the cable supplier has not been named, Google has previously partnered with manufacturers such as SubCom, NEC and Alcatel Submarine Networks on major subsea projects. Google’s investment is estimated at $300 million to 550 million, with the Chilean government contributing $25 million.

Nexans has inaugurated Stella Nova, a Center of Excellence dedicated to pioneering electrification technologies, and unveiled a world-first demonstration of superconducting cables designed for the next generation of data centers.

A press release said that the center, located on the Panattoni Campus in Hanover, Germany, hosts more than 70 experts in engineering, research and manufacturing in the 9,000-sq-m facility. It focuses on three areas: high-precision forming and welding machinery, advanced cryogenic systems for safe fluid transfer, and superconducting cable and Fault Current Limiter systems. The high-voltage laboratory can be used for testing both conventional and superconducting cables and components.

The inauguration included a live demonstration of superconducting low-voltage AC and DC cables, a breakthrough designed to meet the soaring energy demands of hyperscale data centers. These cables can transmit up to 10 times more power than conventional solutions, with zero energy loss, minimal heat generation, and a dramatically reduced infrastructure footprint—critical advantages as data center power consumption is projected to reach 10% of global electricity demand by 2030.

“Superconductivity is revolutionizing the path toward a more efficient and modern energy grid,” said Nexans Corporate VP Director of Innovation Jérôme Fournier. “With Stella Nova, we’re accelerating the energy transition and supporting the digital economy’s sustainability goals.”

LS Cable & System announced that it will commercialize the world’s largest transmission capacity ultra-high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable that increases transmission capacity by up to 50% for a new project.

A press release said that the new power cable will be exclusively supplied to the first phase of Korea Electric Power Corp.’s East Coast-Metropolitan Area (ECMA) transmission network, the largest HVDC project in Korea. The 525 kV high-temperature HVDC cable can achieve the record by increasing the allowable temperature of the conductor from 70°C to 90°C. It is scheduled to be deployed in the underground section of the first phase of the East Coast-Metropolitan Area HVDC in September.

The release said that while there have been cases of technological development overseas, this is the first time a mass-produced product is being applied to an actual transmission network. Use of DC transmission results in less transmission loss than existing alternating current and can transmit up to three times more power over long distances. The ECMA transmission network project is a national core power grid project to efficiently transfer power generated in the East Coast region to the metropolitan area. The first phase covers the East Coast-Singapyeong converter station section, and the second phase, to connect to the metropolitan area, is underway.

LS Cable noted it started developing HVDC cables in 2008, later than Europe (1950s) and Japan (1990s), and has since emerged as a leading company. It added that only six companies worldwide have commercialized this technology, with LS Cable being the only one in South Korea.

“Competitiveness in the HVDC market depends on securing commercialization technology,” said Lee In-ho, chief technology officer (CTO) of LS Cable. “Along with LS Marine Solutions, we plan to actively participate in major domestic and international projects such as the West Coast HVDC Energy Highway, East Coast-Metropolitan Area.

Last issue, WJI wrote about two cement companies that each planned to enter the wire and cable industry in India. Now, word comes of another Indian business, this one in a related field, that wants to enter the wire and cable field: Luker India, a manufacturer of LED lighting.

Per a press release and multiple media reports, the company—formed in 2015 to manufacture LED lighting—will be manufacturing wire and cable, initially with a focus on South India. Production has already started at the company’s plant in Coimbatore. The company notes that the cable manufacturing process has become easier with the adoption of AI where the consistency was as high at 99.99% compared to 98.3% earlier due to human errors.

The company plans to connect with over 100,000 retailers across India to promote and distribute its wires and cables. Further, the company has already tabbed Bollywood personality Prabhu Deva Sundaram as its brand ambassador. Of note, in the WJI May feature on marketing/social media, there was also a piece about India’s Fonolex Cables hiring two Bollywood film stars in 2022 for their marketing campaign.

Italy’s Tratos has been named the supplier for cable for the Ankara-İzmir high-speed railway project, a major infrastructure initiative in Turkey that calls for connecting the capital Ankara to the western port city of İzmir.

A press release said that Tratos is part of a consortium of three companies that are covered by the contract, valued at approximately $2.1 billion. The other two companies are Generale Costruzioni Ferroviarie (GCF), a railway construction firm, and SAFET, an Italian engineering company. The three firms will jointly handle the construction of the line, which spans about 503 km and is designed for speeds up to 250 km/h. The stretch will include 39 tunnels and 66 bridges. Once completed, the Ankara-İzmir high-speed rail will reduce travel time between the two cities from over 14 hours to about 3.5 hours.

Through its U.K. subsidiary, Tratos UK, the company will manufacture a wide range of cable solutions including: medium and high voltage cables for connecting substations and switchgear; data and telecom cables, both copper and fiber optic; signaling power and control cables for connections between trackside equipment and control centers; track feeder cables for power distribution along the rail line; and pantograph and rolling stock cables for onboard train systems.

Tratos is recognized for its expertise in fire-resistant and theft-deterrent cable technologies. It has previously supplied cables for Italy’s Frecciarossa high-speed trains and has developed advanced solutions such as an alarmed cable that uses a fiber to trigger an alarm and locate the cut, improving response times.