WASHINGTON: Alphabet Inc’s Google said on Thursday (Mar 18) it plans to invest over US$7 billion in offices and data centres across the United States as it takes on a surge in internet traffic after pandemic restrictions drove more users and advertisers online.
The company’s investment related to US offices and data centres was over US$10 billion last year and more than US$13 billion in 2019.
The latest investment includes expansion plans for data centres in Nebraska, South Carolina and Texas, the company said on Thursday.
Google is also spending US$1 billion in its home state of California.
The move comes at a time when many companies are exiting Silicon Valley after the pandemic triggered a broader shift to remote work, making companies reconsider the state’s higher operational costs and hefty taxes.
The investments would create at least 10,000 new full-time Google jobs, Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said.
