Meta wants to build the most extended submarine fibre optic connection ever. In total, it concerns 50,000 kilometres.
With Project Waterworth, Meta wants to connect the East Coast of the US, Brazil, South Africa, India, Australia and the West Coast of the US. In this way, the connection goes around the world. Meta does not disclose the exact cost or timing, but it is concerned with a ‘multi-billion dollar, multi-year investment’ according to the company.
Submarine cables are crucial for our data traffic. They transport 95 percent of intercontinental traffic. For Project Waterworth, Meta will use a submarine cable that combines 24 fibre pairs. This cable will also be buried as much as possible to prevent damage, for example, from anchors.
This is not the first time Meta has focused on such networks. The company has laid around twenty cables in the past ten years or co-invested in joint projects.
More data, more network
Such connections are generally a good thing to increase the connectivity of a region. But to be clear, this is not charity. Companies like Meta themselves send enormous amounts of data daily. Even with local data centres to handle traffic from Facebook or Whatsapp, for example, there is still a need for significant connections around the world. This demand will not decrease any time soon with the rise of AI.
By investing in its network of submarine cables, it makes itself less dependent on other players. At the same time, it can sell the remaining capacity to others, meaning that a submarine cable can generate income.