Google’s latest subsea cable project, Sol, is a major infrastructure win for Bermuda and a signal that the global tech giant is investing in the local economy and talent, according to Alexa Lightbourne, the Minister of Home Affairs.

Building on the success of its Nuvem cable in 2022, which connected South Carolina to Portugal via Bermuda, Google announced a second transatlantic cable linking Florida to Spain. The new Sol cable will also pass through Bermuda.

Ms Lightbourne said the move reflects confidence in Bermuda’s “regulatory clarity, technical preparedness and geographical relevance.” A new landing station in Southside, St. David’s, pending final planning approval, will support up to four fibre-optic cables, making Bermuda “a permanent fixture in the global network routing architecture,” she told the House of Assembly.

But the Minister emphasised that infrastructure is only part of the story. “Google reaffirmed its intention to: diversify Bermuda’s legacy economy; support the development and training of local talent and drive climate-positive innovation in partnership with Bermuda,” she added.

Ms Lightbourne added: “It is an evolution and investment in our future. A future where Bermuda moves from being simply known for insurance or tourism, and it entrenches its role and reputation in the digital economy.”

The Sol cable will also link to Nuvem, providing extra capacity for cloud traffic, AI services and local telecom providers. “This same cable … will carry cloud traffic, provide expanded capacity for our local providers and deliver AI [artificial intelligence] models across the Atlantic. It will bring Bermuda along with it.”