The social media giant says it will build the world’s longest undersea cable to connect the United States, India, Brazil and South Africa.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is set to build the world’s longest undersea cable.
The Waterworth project envisions a 50,000-kilometer submarine cable connecting five continents from a point 7,000 meters below the ocean.
According to the International Telecommunication Union, more than 99% of international data exchange is carried out via submarine cables.
Meta’s cable will use a system of 24 fiber pairs, giving connections to the United States, India, Brazil and South Africa “greater capacity,” Meta continued.
The tech giant added that the submarine cable “will expand economic cooperation, promote digital inclusion, and open up opportunities for technological development in these regions.”
It is also expected to support the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) projects.
“The Waterworth project will be a multi-billion dollar, multi-year investment aimed at enhancing the scale and reliability of the world’s digital highways by opening three new ocean corridors with the broad, high-speed connectivity needed to drive AI innovation around the world,” the company said in a blog post.
Meta did not specify the timeline for the project or the budget for its implementation.
Attacks on submarine cables
According to telecommunications company TeleGeography, there are just under 600 cable systems with 1,700 outlets either in operation or under construction worldwide.
Meta has already developed 20 submarine cables, including the 2Africa Pearls extension, which connects Africa, Europe, and Asia with a 45,000-kilometer cable.
Meta is also one of several U.S. tech companies that are beginning to invest more in cable infrastructure.
In 2024 alone, Google announced a $1 billion (€960 million) investment in two new cables across the Pacific Ocean to Japan, as well as the construction of an undersea cable that will connect Africa to Australia.
Attacks on submarine cables
According to TeleGeography, there are just under 600 cable systems with 1,700 outlets either in operation or under construction worldwide.
Meta has already developed 20 submarine cables, including the 2Africa Pearls extension, which connects Africa, Europe, and Asia with a 45,000-kilometer cable.
Meta is also one of several U.S. tech companies that are beginning to invest more in cable infrastructure.
In 2024 alone, Google announced a $1 billion (€960 million) investment in two new cables across the Pacific Ocean to Japan, as well as the construction of an undersea cable that will connect Africa to Australia.
