The Government of Chile, through Desarrollo País, a state-owned company that promotes infrastructure projects, signed with Google the partnership agreement that gives rise to the joint venture company -HumboldtConnect-, which will activate and commercialize the fiber optic capacity of the submarine cable that will directly connect South America and Oceania, the first of its kind in the area.

A historic partnership for digital infrastructure

The ceremony was headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alberto van Klaveren, together with the Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, Juan Carlos Muñoz, and was attended by the Undersecretary of Telecommunications, Claudio Araya; the President of the Board of Directors of Desarrollo País S.A., Luz Granier; the General Manager of Google for the Andean Region, Edgardo Frías; the General Manager of Desarrollo País, Patricio Rey; and the Director of Telecommunications Infrastructure for Latin America, Cristian Rías, Luz Granier; the general manager of Google for the Andean Region, Edgardo Frías; the general manager of Desarrollo País, Patricio Rey, and the director of Telecommunications Infrastructure of Google for Latin America, Cristian Ramos, as well as authorities and representatives of the telecommunications industry.

It should be noted that the participation in the partnership that gives shape to Humboldt Connect considers equal investments between Desarrollo País and Google (50%-50%), and marks a key step towards the strategic objective of positioning Chile as a digital hub in the southern hemisphere. Humboldt Connect will aim to ensure the success of the commercial operation, from the management with sales agents to the relationship with international clients in the telecommunications sector, content and academic networks.

Chile as a hub for regional connectivity

"This project, which will link the Valparaíso Region with Australia through more than 14,000 kilometers of cable, represents a concrete expression of the way in which we conceive Chile's place in the 21st century: as a country that is open, reliable and fully committed to an active international insertion, with a vocation to be the bridge between South America, Asia-Pacific and Oceania," the foreign minister emphasized.

On the other hand, Minister Muñoz affirmed that "Chile is a country that is at the forefront of technology in the region. As a government, we work every day to consolidate this position and generate the conditions for new investments of this type to reach our country. Humboldt Connect is proof of this vision and commitment, because it is much more than a technological project, it is a concrete sign of how Chile can lead the development of digital infrastructure from the south of the world and through an unprecedented alliance between Google and Desarrollo País".

"With the work of Humboldt Connect we will take a decisive step to materialize a business model of public-private partnership that is efficient, competitive and aligned with the strategic interests of the State. Chile ceases to be just a transit point and becomes a protagonist in the global connectivity between Latin America and Asia-Pacific," said Patricio Rey Sommer, general manager of Desarrollo País.

"At Google, we are very proud of this transcendental alliance that today creates Humboldt Connect. This is not just a cable, it is a fundamental pillar for the digital future of Chile and the entire region. Humboldt represents unprecedented connectivity, which will translate into faster speeds, greater capacity and a more robust and resilient internet infrastructure for millions of people," said Edgardo Frias, Google's general manager for the Andean Region.