Meta’s 50,000 KM subsea cable to connect the world like never before—Here’s what it means

Meta has announced its most ambitious subsea cable project yet, Project Waterworth, a multi-billion-dollar initiative that will span over 50,000 km—longer than Earth’s circumference. Once completed, it will be the world's longest subsea cable project and will use the highest-capacity technology available to enhance global connectivity.

Expanding global connectivity

Project Waterworth aims to connect five continents, including the US, India, Brazil, and South Africa, significantly boosting digital infrastructure in these regions.

“This project will enable greater economic cooperation, facilitate digital inclusion, and open opportunities for technological development,” Meta stated.

The initiative is expected to be particularly transformative for India, where rapid digital growth is already underway. “Waterworth will help accelerate this progress and support the country’s ambitious plans for its digital economy,” Meta added.

Strengthening digital infrastructure

Subsea cables play a crucial role in global communication, carrying over 95% of intercontinental internet traffic. Meta has been a key player in infrastructure innovation, having developed more than 20 subsea cables over the past decade.

“With Project Waterworth, we continue to advance engineering design to maintain cable resilience, enabling us to build the longest 24 fiber pair cable project in the world and enhance overall speed of deployment,” the company revealed.

The new cable system will introduce, as per Meta, three new oceanic corridors and feature state-of-the-art routing techniques to ensure its resilience. “We are deploying first-of-its-kind routing, maximizing the cable laid in deep water—at depths up to 7,000 meters—and using enhanced burial techniques in high-risk fault areas to prevent damage from ship anchors and other hazards,” Meta explained.

Powering the AI revolution

With AI driving the future of digital transformation, high-speed, resilient connectivity is more critical than ever.

“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,” the company said.

Project Waterworth aims to support AI-driven advancements, ensuring that the benefits of emerging technologies reach people worldwide.

“With Project Waterworth we can help ensure that the benefits of AI and other emerging technologies are available to everyone, regardless of where they live or work,” Meta concluded.