Two internet giants are getting involved in geopolitics. Discover what waves are being made.
The term geopolitics can be dated back to 1899. The term means the economic geography in coordination with the influence of politics, foreign policy, national power, and things of that nature. In this article, we take into consideration two internet giants and their moves in geopolitics.
Connecting the Pacific in Other Ways
The Pacific Light Cable Network (PCLN) an undersea cable that was originally set to connect China and the United States, is being filed for activation. Two high-profile companies requested for special temporary authority to activate the PCLN but to the Philippines and Taiwan, leaving the Chinese connections dormant. The reason for the connectivity alterations is due to security concerns between China and the US Government.
Two Companies Step into Geopolitics
Facebook and Google have wanted to connect the cable to the Pacific region for years now, but most of the fiber optics within the undersea cable are owned by Pacific Light Data Communication, a Chinese company. The American companies found a way to bypass security concerns by requesting only the Facebook and Google owned portions of the cable to be activated.
By these two companies bypassing the Chinese company, they have made stakes in this regulatory battle between the US and China. Not only disrupting business but also making a stake by politicizing technology and trade.
More on Politics
Unfortunately for the two internet giants, Team Telecom has not moved forward with a decision of whether or not to allow the undersea cable activation.
One of the reasons behind the slow turnaround time has to do with a letter to the US Senate. Last September, Florida Senator, Rick Scott, urged the Senate not to approve the cable. He even wrote, “We cannot allow China expanded access to critical American information, even if funded by U.S. companies. Doing so would be a serious threat to our national security.”
This isn’t the first time Team Telecom took its time to decide whether foreign countries would have access to certain information. However, if your company needs access to location-based telecommunications information, GeoTel can assist. Be sure to contact the experts at GeoTel today!
Author: Experts at GeoTel
