Google is the largest provider when it comes to underwater cables. The company has already laid over 100,000 kilometers of underwater cables. However, one place is set to become key to their work: Christmas Island.
What kind of island is this? Christmas Island is an Australian territory with an area of 135 km² located in the Indian Ocean. Only about 1,500 human inhabitants live there, but they receive visits from 120 million red crabs every year.
The fact that Google has chosen this very island for its project is no coincidence. The internet is, after all, connected by many underwater cables, making the island an important location. Google aims to expand global connections and grow its digital infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific.
The plan is clear: A cable is to be laid overland from Darwin to the Sunshine Coast in Australia, while the new cable will continue underwater to Christmas Island, where it will then connect Australia with Singapore to provide better internet for the entire region. But the 120 million crabs pose a significant challenge for Google.
Google vs. the Crabs
What do the crabs have to do with it? Christmas Island experiences a natural spectacle every year. Between October and December, 120 million crabs leave the island’s forests and rush to the coast to breed.
They do not take other beings into consideration and turn roads, gardens, and construction sites into a sea of red. While the residents simply wait out the phenomenon each year, closing roads and bridges for ‘traffic’ and even building special paths for the crabs, this phenomenon is a problem for Google.
Pulling a cable across an island that is full of crabs presents a significant challenge for the high-tech company. At the same time, the company feels a commitment to the environment and wants to ensure that the crabs are not disturbed by the cables.
How does one proceed? The company adheres to an extremely tight schedule for construction to avoid any construction work during the breeding season of the animals. Furthermore, they have ensured that no materials are used that could disturb the crabs.
The stated goal is to avoid disturbing the animals while still providing better internet in the Indo-Pacific. For this reason, Google is also in talks with Australian authorities.
No one at Google’s office probably considered when planning the cable installation that 120 million crabs walk around the island every year. It is important for nature that this migration is taken into account, ensuring the phenomenon continues. Do you like crabs? Steam: New shooter delights players, receives 98% positive reviews – ‘Like Risk of Rain 2, but with a crab’
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