Meta’s Groundbreaking Subsea Cable Project to Drive Digital Inclusion
Meta Launches Ambitious Project Waterworth
Meta has unveiled its most ambitious subsea cable project to date, named Project Waterworth. This initiative aims to connect five major continents with a cable network spanning over 50,000 kilometers, surpassing the Earth’s circumference. Once completed, Project Waterworth will be the longest subsea cable project in the world, utilizing the highest-capacity technology available.
Enhancing Global Connectivity
Project Waterworth is set to significantly improve connectivity in key regions, including the United States, India, Brazil, and South Africa. This extensive network will foster economic cooperation and digital inclusion, creating new opportunities for technological advancement. In India, for instance, where Meta has already invested heavily in digital infrastructure, Project Waterworth will accelerate the country’s digital economy initiatives.
Subsea cables like Project Waterworth are crucial for global digital infrastructure, facilitating over 95% of intercontinental data traffic. This project represents a multi-billion dollar investment aimed at enhancing the reliability and scale of digital communication. By establishing three new oceanic corridors, it will provide the high-speed connectivity necessary to drive artificial intelligence (AI) innovation worldwide. Over the past decade, Meta has partnered with various organizations to develop more than 20 subsea cables, including systems with 24 fiber pairs—far exceeding the typical 8 to 16 fiber pairs found in other new systems. These advancements are essential to meet the growing digital demands of the global population.
Meta is also focusing on engineering design to ensure cable resilience. Project Waterworth will feature the longest 24 fiber pair cable in the world, with innovative routing that maximizes cable deployment in deep waters, reaching depths of up to 7,000 meters. Enhanced burial techniques will be employed in high-risk areas, such as coastal zones, to protect against potential damage from ship anchors and other hazards. As AI continues to reshape industries and societies, the need for robust infrastructure becomes increasingly vital. Through Project Waterworth, Meta aims to make the benefits of AI and emerging technologies accessible to everyone, regardless of their location.
