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Meta to build 50,000km-long subsea cable across the world
17 February 2025
An illustration of the route Meta’s Project Waterworth subsea cable will take (Image: Meta)
US technology company Meta has announced plans to build a new subsea cable spanning 50,000 kilometres.
If constructed, it would reach five major continents and become the world’s longest subsea cable.
Named ‘Project Waterworth’, Meta said the scheme would connect the US, India, Brazil, South Africa and other key regions, providing “high-speed connectivity needed to drive AI innovation around the world”.
It did not give a precise value for the project but said it would be a “multi-billion-dollar, multi-year investment”.
Meta said it has already worked with partners over the past decade to develop more than 20 subsea cables, including several of 24 fibre pairs, compared to the typical 8 of 16 fibre pairs of other systems.
Project Waterworth would also involve a 24 fibre pair, laid at depths of up to 7,000 metres, as well as using “enhanced burial techniques” in high-risk fault areas such as shallow waters near the coast to avoid ship damage and other hazards.
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