Meta to launch a global underwater internet cable network

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Posted by NewAdmin on 2025-02-18 08:53:12 |

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Meta has revealed plans to construct a 50,000km (31,000-mile) sub-sea cable that will span across the globe.

This ambitious initiative, named Project Waterworth, will connect the United States, India, South Africa, Brazil, and other regions, making it the longest underwater cable project in the world once completed.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is expanding its technological footprint beyond social media, including into artificial intelligence (AI) and the infrastructure supporting it.

The company stated that the new cable will offer "industry-leading connectivity" to five major continents and support its AI projects. "This project will foster economic cooperation, promote digital inclusion, and open up technological development opportunities in these regions," Meta said in a blog post.

The cable will be the longest to feature a 24-fibre-pair system, increasing its capacity.

Sub-sea cables are crucial for powering digital services and transferring data across the globe at high speeds. Reports suggest that over 95% of global internet traffic flows through undersea cables.

TeleGeography, a telecommunications market research firm, estimates that there are currently over 600 publicly known sub-sea cable systems worldwide. One such system, the 2Africa cable, supported by Meta and mobile operators like Orange, Vodafone, and China Mobile, spans 45,000km and connects three continents.

Tech companies are increasingly investing in cable infrastructure. For instance, Google announced in 2024 its plan to build the first sub-sea cable connecting Africa and Australia and a $1bn investment in two new cables in the Pacific Ocean to improve connectivity to Japan.

Professor Vili Lehdonvirta from the Oxford Internet Institute noted that tech companies are now leading the way in laying these cables, a significant shift from the past when national telecom firms handled these projects due to their large financial requirements. This shift highlights the growing influence of big tech firms, which can now fund such infrastructure independently, raising concerns for policymakers about concentration in digital markets.

Telecom and tech analyst Paolo Pescatore sees this move as part of Meta's broader ambitions. "Meta wants to own more of the connectivity infrastructure, demonstrating its desire to integrate hardware, software, platforms, and growing connectivity aspirations to offer users a unique experience," he said.

The increasing importance of sub-sea cables has raised concerns about their vulnerability to attacks or accidents. After a series of damaged cables, experts have warned that undersea infrastructure is becoming a focal point for geopolitical tensions and conflict.

NATO launched a mission in January to boost surveillance of ships in the Baltic Sea following damage to vital undersea cables last year. A UK parliamentary committee has also raised concerns about the UK's resilience to potential disruptions, citing fears over Russian and Chinese capabilities to target undersea infrastructure during times of heightened tension.

In response, Meta's blog post on Project Waterworth stated that the cable will be laid at depths of up to 7,000 meters and will use advanced burial techniques in high-risk areas, such as shallow waters near coastlines, to avoid damage from ship anchors and other hazards.

Professor Lehdonvirta pointed out that Meta's route bypasses established routes like Europe and China, potentially avoiding geopolitical hotspots such as the Suez Canal and the South China Sea. He also noted that linking the US to major markets in the Southern Hemisphere could be seen as strengthening US economic and infrastructural influence abroad.

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