Justice Department Clears Google's Bid to Operate Undersea Cable

By Dave Sebastian

The Justice Department has cleared Google LLC's application to operate a subsea cable that makes up a portion of the Pacific Light Cable Network System connecting the U.S. to Taiwan for the next six months.

The Alphabet Inc. unit had applied to the Federal Communications Commission on April 2 for a special temporary authority to operate the cable, underscoring an internal need for capacity between the U.S. and Taiwan. Google had said it would need to find alternative capacity at a higher price without the department's blessing.

Google, under the terms of the provisional national security agreement, accepted operational and security requirements, including an agreement to "pursue diversification of interconnection points in Asia" and to set up network facilities that deliver traffic as close as practicable to the destination, the department said Wednesday.

The U.S. holds the view that a direct cable connection between the U.S. and Hong Kong would pose a risk to national security and law enforcement, according to the department.

Write to Dave Sebastian at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 08, 2020 14:43 ET (18:43 GMT)

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