Google proposes data cable to link U.S. and Europe

Alphabet Inc is developing an underwater cable to connect the US, Britain, and Spain, enhancing Internet connectivity. The Grace Hopper cable, featuring 16 fiber pairs, will link New York, Butte, Cornwall, and Bilbao. It includes technology to prevent outages. Tech firms are competing to build such cables, which handle 98% of global data. An analyst notes Google's need for bandwidth and direct cable links for a competitive edge.

What percentage of the world's data is transmitted through underwater cables?

Why is having direct cable links between data centers considered a competitive advantage for Google?