As reported by Reuters
The American tech giant Google plans to build a powerful AI data center on the remote Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.
According to Ukrinform citing Reuters, the reviewed documents and conversations with current officials confirm these plans.
The placement of the project on the tiny island, which belongs to Australia’s external territories and is located about 350 km south of Indonesia, had not been publicized before, and the scale, funding, and potential use remained unknown.
Defense experts note that such a facility could become a valuable asset for the region and bolster monitoring of the actions of Chinese submarines and other forces in the Indian Ocean, given the island’s strategic significance.
Google is currently negotiating to lease a plot near the island’s airport for constructing the data center, also having struck a deal with a local mining company to provide energy to the future facility.
Outlook for the island and regional response
The head of Christmas Island, Steve Pereira, said that the administration is considering the impact of the proposed center on the community before the final approval of construction.
Google declined to comment on this news. The Australian Department of Defence also did not provide a comment.
Context of investment plans
According to Ukrinform, over five years Google plans to invest around $15 billion in creating an AI data center in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
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