Meta is planning to build a massive subsea cable that will span the globe, costing around $10 billion. The cable, which is expected to be over 40,000 kilometers (around 24,850 miles) long, will be built for Meta’s exclusive use.
This means Meta will own and control the entire network, unlike its current setup, where it shares ownership of 16 existing subsea cables. The goal of this new project is to create a secure and reliable internet connection for Meta’s services, without relying on other companies’ infrastructure.
This new subsea cable will be different from others because it will avoid regions with high geopolitical risks, such as the South China Sea, Egypt, and the Straits of Malacca.
These areas have seen problems with damaged or sabotaged cables in the past. The cable’s route will avoid these hotspots and go around the world, connecting places like the US, India, South Africa, and Australia.
According to TechCrunch, Meta’s cable project is still in the early stages, and the company is expected to share more details about the plan in 2025.
This project, known as the “mother of all submarine cables” and referred to as “W” because of its shape, will take several years to complete — probably 5 to 10 years. Experts like Sunil Tagare first reported the project in October, estimating that it would cost around $10 billion.
Meta is taking this step to have more control over its global internet network. This move puts Meta in line with other tech giants like Google, which also privately owns some subsea cables and has invested in many more.
By having this level of control, Meta can prioritize its own services and improve the quality of its internet connections worldwide.