Content Meta Lays Plans for Global Submarine Internet Infrastructure

Getty Images Meta has unveiled plans for an ambitious sub-sea cable project that aims to revolutionize global connectivity. The tech giant’s Project Waterworth seeks to construct a 50,000 km (31,069 mile) undersea cable network spanning the United States, India, South Africa, Brazil, and other regions. Upon completion, this venture will become the world’s longest underwater telecommunications infrastructure.

Meta owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp and is expanding its influence beyond social media platforms to include artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and supporting infrastructures. The new cable project is expected to deliver “industry-leading connectivity” across five continents, thereby enhancing Metas AI initiatives significantly.

The ambitious $1 billion initiative aims at reinforcing the world’s digital networks by providing robust intercontinental data links. In a recent blog post, Meta emphasized that this project would foster greater economic cooperation and promote digital inclusion in various regions, creating new opportunities for technological advancements.

A key feature of Project Waterworth is its utilization of a 24 fiber-pair system, offering higher transmission capacity compared to existing cables. This innovation underscores the critical role sub-sea cables play in facilitating global internet traffic. In fact, studies suggest that more than 95% of all internet data flows through these submerged conduits.

Telecommunications research firm TeleGeography has reported that there are over 600 publicly known undersea cable systems worldwide. One notable example is the 2Africa cable project supported by Meta and other mobile network operators, spanning three continents for a length of 45,000 km. This demonstrates tech companies’ increasing investment in global connectivity infrastructure.

Tech giants like Google have also shown significant interest in undersea cables. In early announcements, Google pledged to build an Africa-Australia sub-sea cable and invest $1 billion to improve data transmission to Japan through new Pacific Ocean cables. These investments reflect the growing dominance of large technology firms in financing such critical infrastructure.

According to Professor Vili Lehdonvirta from the Oxford Internet Institute, there has been a paradigm shift where tech companies are now laying undersea cables independently due to their substantial financial resources. This trend could raise concerns among policymakers about market concentration and control over global internet connectivity.

Tech industry analyst Paolo Pescatore sees this move by Meta as part of its strategy to own more aspects of the connectivity ecosystem. By integrating hardware, software, platforms, and expanding into new areas like AI, Meta aims to provide users with a unique experience that differentiates it from competitors.

However, increased reliance on sub-sea cables has also heightened concerns about their vulnerability to threats such as accidents or deliberate attacks. Recent incidents involving damaged undersea cables have drawn attention to this issue and highlighted potential geopolitical tensions surrounding these critical infrastructures.

In response to these risks, Meta plans to lay its cable system up to 7,000 meters deep in certain areas and employ advanced burial techniques near the coastlines of high-risk regions. These measures aim to mitigate damage from ship anchors or other hazards that pose a threat to the cables’ integrity.

Professor Lehdonvirta noted that Project Waterworth deviates from traditional routing strategies by avoiding established pathways through Europe, China, and geopolitical hotspots such as the Suez Canal and South China Sea. By connecting major economies in North America with those in the Southern hemisphere, Meta’s project could be seen as a strategic move to enhance its global economic influence.

Metas ambitious Project Waterworth represents more than just an expansion of internet infrastructure; it reflects broader trends within the tech industry towards increased control over digital networks and their implications for both innovation and international relations.