• Meta has announced plans for Project Waterworth, which aims to construct a 50,000 km subsea cable.
• The project will enhance internet connectivity across the US, India, South Africa, Brazil, and other regions.
• This initiative is part of Meta’s larger strategy to invest in artificial intelligence infrastructure and global digital inclusion.
• Meta seeks to address geopolitical risks associated with undersea cables and improve resilience against potential threats.
• The multibillion-dollar project is projected to play a crucial role in the future of technological development globally.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has recently unveiled its plan to develop Project Waterworth, a groundbreaking initiative to build the world’s longest subsea internet cable. Spanning over 50,000 kilometers (approximately 31,000 miles), this ambitious project aims to connect key regions including the United States, India, South Africa, Brazil, and other parts of the globe, thereby providing what the company terms "industry-leading connectivity." According to BBC, this cable will surpass the Earth's circumference and facilitate significant advancements in digital infrastructure. This multibillion-dollar project, although lacking a specific budget and timeline, is expected to be completed by the end of the decade, as indicated in statements from both Business Insider and Los Angeles Times. Meta is positioning this initiative as a critical move to enhance global data transmission capabilities, especially as reliance on artificial intelligence technologies grows. The firm has identified subsea cables as vital components for transmitting over 95% of international internet traffic, thereby supporting a range of digital services. As part of this project, Meta plans to utilize a 24 fiber-pair system, a notable upgrade from the commonly used 8 to 16 fiber-pair configurations. This would significantly increase the cable’s capacity to handle data transmission. Furthermore, the project includes innovative routing to optimize cable deployment at depths of up to 7 kilometers, as well as advanced burial techniques in susceptible areas to safeguard against damage from anchors and other marine hazards. In its commitment to revamping global connectivity, Meta's Project Waterworth is also a response to increasing concerns over the vulnerability of subsea infrastructure to geopolitical tensions. Recent incidents have highlighted the risks associated with maintaining undersea cables, with reports of severed cables in regions like the Red Sea and the Baltic Sea, raising alarms about potential attacks from state actors. According to Business Insider, the initiative aims to bolster resilience against such threats and support Meta's overarching goal of extending the benefits of AI and technology to users worldwide. Meta's ongoing investments in internet infrastructure reflect a broader trend among major tech companies, including Google and Microsoft, who have been investing in subsea cable systems for years to ensure affordable and reliable internet access. With over 3 billion people using Meta’s suite of applications daily, the successful implementation of Project Waterworth could create unprecedented opportunities for socio-economic development and digital inclusion in underrepresented regions. As this project advances, it remains to be seen how it will reshape the future of global internet connectivity and the role of AI in society.