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Google, Facebook Team Up For High-Speed Cable Across Pacific

MOUNTAIN VIEW (CBS SF) – Google is teaming up with Facebook and two communications companies to install an undersea cable that will stretch across the Pacific.

According to a company blog post, the Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN) will be the first ultra-high capacity direct cable between Los Angeles and Hong Kong, with a length of 12,800 km (7,953 miles).

Google said PLCN will have the highest capacity among all trans-Pacific cables. The Mountain View-based company is claiming a capacity of 120 Terabits per second, enough to carry 80 million HD video conference calls at the same time. A Terabit is 1 million megabits.

The Mountain View-based tech giant has ownership stakes in five other undersea cables. PLCN is expected to be operational in 2018.

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