THE NEWS WRAP: Google backs $300 million broadband infrastructure project in Japan

Google has announced it’s backing a new $300 million high speed internet trans-pacific cable system between the US and Japan.

A consortium of six global companies announced they have signed agreements to build the cable system known as ‘FASTER’.

The companies include Google, China Mobile International, China Telecom Global, Global Transit, KDDI and SingTel.

In order to address the intense traffic demands for broadband, mobile applications, content and enterprise data  exchange on the Trans-Pacific route,  FASTER will feature  the latest high-quality 6- fibre-pair cable and optical transmission technologies, with an initial design capacity of 60Tb/s.

It will connect to neighbouring cable systems, extending capacity beyond Japan to other Asian locations.

Construction will begin immediately and the system is hoped to be ready for service during the second quarter of 2016.

Yo wants to be a communications protocol

The next version of Yo, set to roll out in the coming weeks, will see the app include a number of features which will bring it closer to a messaging platform like Twitter or WhatsApp.

Soon it will let users send a link along with a “Yo”. That’s in addition to a forthcoming service that will allow any person to connect an RSS feed to Yo will enable every blogger, website and media outlet to send push notifications to their followers.

Buzzfeed raises $50 million

Buzzfeed has closed a new $50 million investment from prominent Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, The New York Times reports.

The investment values the company at about $850 million.

Overnight

The Dow Jones Industrial Index is trading at 16,569.98. The Australian dollar is currently at US93 cents.