(qlmbusinessnews.com . Wed 19th Feb, 2025) London, UK —
“Meta’s Internet Cable Megaproject: What It Means for AI & Digital Future”
Tech giant Meta has announced an ambitious project to construct a 50,000km (31,000-mile) sub-sea internet cable, set to be the longest of its kind in the world.
Named Project Waterworth, the cable will connect key global regions, including the United States, India, South Africa, and Brazil. According to Meta, the initiative will provide “industry-leading connectivity” across five continents and play a crucial role in supporting artificial intelligence (AI) and other digital infrastructure developments.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is increasingly expanding its technological footprint beyond social media, focusing on AI and global connectivity. The company emphasised that this project will enhance economic cooperation, promote digital inclusion, and drive technological advancement in the connected regions.
-Strengthening Global Digital Infrastructure
The sub-sea cable will be the longest to date featuring a 24 fibre-pair system, significantly increasing its capacity compared to previous networks. Undersea cables are crucial to global internet operations, with over 95% of the world's internet traffic reportedly transmitted through them.
Currently, there are more than 600 publicly known sub-sea cable systems worldwide, according to research firm TeleGeography. Meta already backs 2Africa, a 45,000km undersea cable linking Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, in partnership with telecoms giants like Vodafone and Orange.
-Big Tech's Growing Investment in Connectivity
The race to develop digital infrastructure is accelerating, with major tech firms increasingly taking the lead. Google, for example, announced plans in 2024 to build the first sub-sea cable linking Africa and Australia, as well as a $1bn investment in new cables to strengthen connectivity in Japan and the Pacific region.
Professor Vili Lehdonvirta from the Oxford Internet Institute highlighted that while such projects were historically funded by national telecoms providers, today's large technology firms have the financial capability to undertake these investments independently.
Industry analyst Paolo Pescatore noted that Meta’s strategy signals a clear ambition to dominate the connectivity landscape. “Meta wants to control more of the connectivity ecosystem,” he told the BBC, describing it as an attempt to outpace rivals by integrating hardware, software, platforms, and infrastructure.
-Security Concerns Over Undersea Cables
As reliance on sub-sea cables grows, so do concerns over their vulnerability to attacks and disruptions. Recent incidents of severed cables have raised alarms about the potential for geopolitical tensions.
NATO has stepped up surveillance in the Baltic Sea after key undersea cables were damaged last year. Meanwhile, a UK parliamentary committee has launched an investigation into the nation's resilience against threats to critical infrastructure, citing concerns about Russian and Chinese capabilities to disrupt global connectivity.
To mitigate risks, Meta has pledged to lay the cables up to 7,000 metres deep and employ advanced burial techniques in high-risk areas to prevent damage from ship anchors and environmental hazards.
Professor Lehdonvirta suggested that Project Waterworth's route appears to avoid geopolitical hotspots, such as the Suez Canal and South China Sea, instead focusing on strengthening the US’s connectivity with key emerging markets in the Southern Hemisphere. This could be seen as a move to bolster American influence in the global digital economy.
With work on the project now underway, Meta’s sub-sea cable expansion is set to redefine global internet infrastructure, further shaping the future of digital connectivity.
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