Google is building a data center on Christmas Island, Australia.

Google has announced plans to build a data center on the small Christmas Island located in the south of Indonesia. The company also stated that it will establish a submarine cable system connecting the island with The Maldives and Oman.

This new data center will be smaller than Google's other data centers and will share its digital infrastructure with local users.

However, the island’s remote location has raised concerns among some about whether the local community’s energy needs will be affected. The island's largest employer, Fosfat Kaynakları, noted that although the data center has sufficient power to meet its energy needs, there are warnings that energy capacity could be strained if a surveillance center or a closed resort were to reopen on the island.

Australia's infrastructure department is continuing discussions with Google to ensure that energy demands do not negatively impact the local community or businesses. Additionally, it is stated that Google's two cables will land near significant military bases, and experts point out that the facility could assist in deploying Artificial Intelligence drones to monitor Chinese submarine activities.

This is not the first time large businesses have shown interest in Christmas Island. Previously, there was an attempt to establish a spaceport that never opened and a casino venture that closed after five years. Moreover, due to changes in immigration policies, a refugee detention center that had occupied a significant place on the island for twenty years was largely emptied in 2023.