TPU

Overview

TPU is a transpacific submarine cable system spanning approximately 13,470 km. It is designed to connect the United States, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Taiwan, and the Philippines, creating a vital communications corridor between North America and several western Pacific territories and island nations. Owned by Google, TPU is scheduled to be ready for service in 2026. The cable aims to enhance connectivity for regions along its route, supporting the growing demand for data and cloud services in these areas.

As a privately owned system, TPU reflects Google's ongoing investment in global digital infrastructure. The cable is expected to play a strategic role in improving latency and bandwidth for users in the connected regions, contributing to the development of internet services and digital economies across the Pacific basin.

Route and Landings

TPU's route spans the Pacific Ocean, linking five landing points in geographically diverse locations. In the United States, the cable lands at Eureka, California, a coastal city known for its proximity to major data hubs in the western United States. In Guam, TPU comes ashore at Tanguisson Point, a site that serves as a critical gateway for telecommunications in the Pacific region.

The Northern Mariana Islands are connected via a landing at Tinian, an island with historical significance and growing importance as a regional communications hub. In Taiwan, TPU lands at Dawu, a coastal township in the southeastern part of the island, strategically positioned to serve Taiwan's digital infrastructure needs. The Philippines landing is located at Claveria, a municipality on the northern coast of Luzon, providing improved connectivity to one of Southeast Asia's largest economies.

Ownership and History

TPU is wholly owned by Google, a company that has established itself as a major player in submarine cable infrastructure. Google's investment in TPU aligns with its broader strategy to expand its global network capabilities, ensuring reliable and high-speed connectivity for its cloud services and other digital platforms. The cable represents a significant addition to Google's portfolio of privately owned systems, which includes cables across the Pacific and Atlantic basins.

The decision to develop TPU reflects the increasing demand for robust, low-latency connections between North America and Asia-Pacific. By including landing points in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Taiwan, and the Philippines, TPU extends Google's network reach to regions with diverse connectivity needs and economic potential. The cable is expected to enter service in 2026, joining other transpacific systems planned for deployment around the same time.

What Our Measurements Show

Our monitoring of TPU's projected performance includes 278 measured corridors, with a best round-trip time (RTT) of 32 ms and an average RTT of 166 ms. These latency figures suggest that TPU will offer competitive performance for transpacific communications, benefiting users in both North America and the Asia-Pacific region. The cable's design and routing aim to optimize latency by providing direct connections between key landing points.

The geographic distribution of TPU's landings highlights its role in bridging diverse regions across the Pacific. By connecting the continental United States to Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Taiwan, and the Philippines, TPU addresses the connectivity needs of both developed and developing economies. The cable's performance metrics are expected to support critical applications such as cloud computing, video streaming, and other latency-sensitive services. Once operational, TPU will contribute significantly to the digital infrastructure of the Pacific basin.