Meta has unveiled its plans for Project Waterworth, a groundbreaking initiative to construct a 50,000km (31,000 miles) subsea cable. When completed, it will become the world's longest underwater cable project.

Connecting the US, India, South Africa, Brazil, and other regions, this multi-billion dollar venture aims to provide "industry-leading connectivity" to five major continents and bolster Meta's AI projects. Known for owning Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, Meta is expanding its technological footprint beyond social media.

The project will enhance global connectivity along the "digital highways," promote economic cooperation, facilitate digital inclusion, and open new opportunities for technological development. The cable will feature a 24 fibre-pair system, offering higher capacity than any previous sub-sea cable.

Sub-sea cables are crucial for powering digital services and transferring data worldwide. More than 95% of the world's internet traffic is transmitted through these cables. Currently, over 600 publicly-known sub-sea cable systems exist worldwide, including Meta's 2Africa cable, spanning 45,000km and connecting three continents.

Tech giants, like Meta and Google, are heavily investing in cable infrastructure. Google recently announced plans for the first sub-sea cable connecting Africa and Australia and a $1bn investment to enhance connectivity to Japan with two new sub-sea cables in the Pacific Ocean.

Experts highlight the importance of these investments, noting the shift from national telecoms firms to large technology companies funding such projects independently. This trend could influence policy-making concerned with digital market concentration.

However, the growing reliance on sub-sea cables raises concerns about their vulnerability to attacks and accidents. Nato has increased surveillance of ships in the Baltic Sea after recent damage to critical undersea cables, and the UK is assessing its resilience to potential disruptions.

Meta's Project Waterworth will use advanced techniques to lay the cable system up to 7,000 meters deep and protect it from hazards like ship anchors. By bypassing geopolitical hotspots and connecting the US with key markets in the Southern hemisphere, this project may strengthen US economic and infrastructural influence globally.
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