Meta confirms Project Waterworth, world’s longest subsea cable

• Published On: 16 February 2025 at 20:49

Meta has officially announced Project Waterworth, a 50,000-kilometer subsea cable network that will be the world's longest once completed.

The company confirmed the details on Thursday, following earlier reports of a $10 billion+ investment in the project.

The network will stretch across five continents, connecting landing points in the United States, Brazil, India, South Africa, and other key regions. Meta emphasised India's role in the project, emphasising its significance in advancing AI services and digital growth.

Project Waterworth will make use of cutting-edge technology, including 24 fibre pair cables and deep-sea routing techniques capable of reaching depths of 7,000 meters. Meta also intends to use novel burial techniques to reduce disruptions in politically and geographically sensitive areas.

Geopolitics played a significant role in Meta's decision to build its own subsea infrastructure. The White House recently acknowledged India's involvement in the maintenance and financing of undersea cables in the Indian Ocean as part of a larger defence and technology partnership between the two countries.

The project's goal is to improve global digital connectivity, enabling services such as digital communication, video streaming, and online transactions. Furthermore, Meta sees the network as critical to expanding AI innovation globally.

While Meta has previously invested in subsea cables, such as the 2Africa cable with Vodafone and China Mobile, Project Waterworth is the company's first fully owned subsea infrastructure. This move puts Meta in direct competition with Google, which owns 33 subsea cable routes.

Meta has not provided specific timelines for the Project Waterworth rollout, but has committed to a multi-year investment in its development.