Overview
- Documents and local officials indicate Google is pursuing a large AI-focused facility following a three-year cloud agreement with Australia’s Defence Department in July.
- Christmas Island Shire records show advanced discussions to lease land near the airport and negotiate power from a local mining company.
- Google applied for environmental approval to build the island’s first subsea cable to Darwin, with U.S. contractor SubCom named as the installer.
- Military strategists say the site could support AI-enabled command and control for uncrewed surveillance, highlighting the island’s position near key Indonesian straits.
- Many details remain undisclosed as Google and the Defence Department decline comment, and Alphabet shares closed up about 2.44% after the reports.