Facebook parent company Meta has announced Project Waterworth – its most ambitious subsea cable project yet. Spanning over 50,000 km—longer than the Earth’s circumference—this multi-billion dollar, multi-year investment will be the world’s longest and highest-capacity subsea cable.
The subsea cables will connect five continents and key regions including the US, India, Brazil, and South Africa. This massive undertaking will significantly boost global digital infrastructure, which relies on subsea cables for over 95% of intercontinental traffic, powering everything from online transactions to video streaming.
“This project will enable greater economic cooperation, facilitate digital inclusion, and open opportunities for technological development in these regions. For example, in India, where we’ve already seen significant growth and investment in digital infrastructure, Waterworth will help accelerate this progress and support the country’s ambitious plans for its digital economy,” the company said.
Project Waterworth to open three oceanic corridors
Project Waterworth will open three new oceanic corridors, providing the high-speed connectivity crucial for AI innovation worldwide. Building on a decade of infrastructure innovation and over 20 subsea cable deployments, Meta is pushing engineering boundaries with Waterworth. The newest project features 24 fiber pairs—significantly more than the typical 8 to 16—maximizing capacity and speed.
Innovative routing techniques will maximize deep-water deployment (up to 7,000 meters) and utilize enhanced burial methods in high-risk areas to protect against damage.
“AI is revolutionizing every aspect of our lives, from how we interact with each other to how we think about infrastructure – and Meta is at the forefront of building these innovative technologies. As AI continues to transform industries and societies around the world, it’s clear that capacity, resilience, and global reach are more important than ever to support leading infrastructure,” the company added.
