Overview
- Reuters, citing internal documents and local officials, reports Google is pursuing a large AI data hub on the island, with advanced talks on a land lease near the airport.
- Google says it is not constructing a “large artificial intelligence data centre” and characterizes current activity as subsea-cable expansion under its Australia Connect program.
- Filings show Google applied for environmental approval to lay the first subsea cable linking Christmas Island to Darwin, with U.S. contractor SubCom listed to install the link.
- The reporting follows a three-year cloud agreement between Australia’s Defence Department and Google signed in July, as military experts highlight the island’s strategic value for Indian Ocean surveillance and AI-enabled command-and-control.
- Local authorities say community and environmental impacts are under review, with records describing negotiations on land access and energy supply, including a reported 7‑megawatt requirement.