Government in talks with space agency over future plans
The Government is in “exploratory discussions” with the UK Space Agency over possible future developments on the island, the Ministry of Home Affairs said.
It comes after Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch, the Minister of Public Works, announced in the House of Assembly that a subsidiary of Google, Sea Grass Services Ltd, would pay $4.8 million for the 262-year lease of a site in St David’s for a cable landing station.
Colonel Burch told MPs: “It is intended for this agreement to act as a magnet, drawing other players in the communication industry, whether for laying their own cables or leasing from Google.
“There have already been inquiries from other major companies into building data centres in Bermuda.”
In response to questions from The Royal Gazette about the inquiries, a spokesman for the Ministry of Home Affairs said Bermuda was already home to two prominent facilities at Cooper's Island — earth stations for Nasa and the European Space Agency.
“These stations play a critical role in global space communications, further positioning Bermuda as a hub for cutting-edge space exploration and technology.
“Additionally, local companies in Bermuda provide essential support for monitoring and tracking satellites and launches for other industry players,” the spokesman said.
He added: “We are also engaged in ongoing exploratory discussions with the UK Space Agency regarding potential future developments on the island, reflecting Bermuda's commitment to advancing its contributions to the international space sector.”
Google is laying a new subsea cable, called Nuvem, connecting Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Portugal. It was first announced in September 2023.
It will connect to Bermuda via the landing station, at the remote-controlled car-racing track at Southside, which will be scaled for four cables, starting with Nuvem.
In addition to the leasing and construction of the landing station, the Government hopes there will be other significant related benefits, including new jobs and a technology hub for fintech.
It also hopes that there will be training opportunities for Bermudians through access to Google’s training platform.
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