Chile turned to China for an undersea cable. The U.S. said no

▤ Summary

Chile’s attempt to build a China-backed undersea cable to Hong Kong was derailed after U.S. pressure and sanctions on Chilean officials. The story centers on a strategic telecom infrastructure decision shaped by geopolitics, data sovereignty, and rising demand for global bandwidth. It also highlights how major tech companies now dominate subsea cable ownership and how countries are trying to reduce dependence on a small group of foreign providers. The article frames the cable debate as part of a broader push for resilient, redundant digital infrastructure across South America.

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