Meta Unveils World’s Longest Subsea Cable Project “Waterworth”

Meta has announced Project Waterworth, a massive subsea cable project that will span over 50,000 km (31,068 miles), making it the longest underwater cable in history.

The ambitious initiative aims to connect five continents, including Brazil, India, South Africa and the United States, while improving global internet connectivity and supporting artificial intelligence (AI) advancements.

Project Waterworth is a multi-billion dollar, multi-year project designed to expand the scale and reliability of the world’s digital infrastructure.

The cable will help open three new oceanic corridors, providing high-speed, high-capacity internet access to underserved regions. Meta emphasised that this project will boost economic cooperation, promote digital inclusion, and create new technological opportunities.

The subsea cable will be the first to use 24 fiber-pair technology offering a higher data transfer capacity compared to existing systems, which typically use 8 to 16 fiber pairs.

Project Waterworth — Image Credits: META

Meta has played an important role in global subsea connectivity, previously working on over 20 cable projects, including 2Africa, which spans 45,000 km across three continents.

In recent years, major tech companies have been heavily investing in subsea cable networks.

Google, for instance, announced plans to build the first subsea cable connecting Africa and Australia and committed $1 billion to enhance connectivity in Japan via two new cables in the Pacific Ocean.

According to Professor Vili Lehdonvirta from the Oxford Internet Institute, there has been a shift from national telecom firms financing subsea cables to big tech corporations taking control, like Meta, Google, and Microsoft.

Recent cases involving damaged cables have raised concerns about potential sabotage and cyber warfare.

In response, NATO launched a surveillance mission in the Baltic Sea to monitor undersea infrastructure, while a UK parliamentary committee has begun investigating the country’s resilience against disruptions.

The committee has specifically pointed out threats from China and Russia, warning that undersea cables could be targeted during conflicts.

Meta will deploy Project Waterworth at depths of up to 7,000 meters and use advanced burial techniques in shallow waters near coastlines.

This approach aims to protect the cable from ship anchors, fishing activities, and other hazards.

Additionally, Meta has chosen a route that avoids geopolitical hotspots like the Suez Canal and the South China Sea, ensuring greater safety and reliability.

Apart from subsea cable projects, the company is also expanding its efforts in AI and robotics. Meta has established a new robotics division under Reality Labs, focusing on the development of humanoid robots powered by AI.

These robots are expected to assist with physical tasks and integrate with Meta’s AI foundation models, including Llama.

The company is also working on expanding its retail presence by opening stores similar to the Meta Lab store in Los Angeles, launched in November.

References: BBC, submarinenetworks

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