The owner of Facebook, Meta, has unveiled a bold plan to construct the longest undersea cable network, which will span more than 50,000 kilometers—more than the circumference of the Earth—and reach five major continents. The longest underwater cable project in the world, known as Project Waterworth, will offer “industry-leading connectivity” and support artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives in the US, India, Brazil, South Africa, and other key regions.
Meta has now officially launched its latest subsea cable project, which is expected to be its greatest connective effort to date, following initial research on the project late last year.
“Project Waterworth,” Meta’s most recent project, will eventually cover more than 50,000 km and connect five main continents, making it the longest undersea cable project in the world.
“Project Waterworth will be a multi-billion dollar, multi-year investment to strengthen the scale and reliability of the world’s digital highways by opening three new oceanic corridors with the abundant, high-speed connectivity needed to drive AI innovation around the world,” Meta stated.
“Project Waterworth will bring industry-leading connectivity to the U.S., India, Brazil, South Africa, and other key regions. This project will enable greater economic cooperation, facilitate digital inclusion, and open opportunities for technological development in these regions.”
Over 95% of intercontinental traffic over the world’s oceans is carried out by Subsea cable projects, which form the foundation of the global digital infrastructure. Meta stated that it would employ advanced burying procedures and install the cable system up to 7,000 meters deep in high-risk fault zones “such as shallow waters near the coast, to avoid damage from ship anchors and other hazards.”
“This project will enable greater economic cooperation, facilitate digital inclusion, and open opportunities for technological development in these regions,” it stated.
As previously said, reports of the project started to circulate late last year, and early estimates put its estimated cost at about $10 billion.
Which is probably not that important in the grand scheme of things, given that Meta projects spending up to $70 billion on infrastructure in 2025 alone.
The proposal makes particular reference to India, whose digital infrastructure has advanced remarkably over the last decade.
“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.”
Interestingly, the project was included in the US-India Joint Leaders’ Statement that was made public earlier this month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the US.
With the start of Project Waterworth, Meta also hopes to transform the rate at which AI is developed.
Although Meta did not specify a year or disclose an estimated cost, the multibillion-dollar project is expected to be finished before the end of the decade.
For years, tech giants like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta have made significant investments in underwater cables to deliver more reliable and reasonably priced internet throughout the world. These expenditures also help tech businesses draw additional customers to their services as more individuals connect to the internet to chat and stream videos.
According to a 2024 report from the Global Digital Inclusion Partnership, subsea cables are the backbone of the Internet, carrying an estimated 95% of all Internet traffic worldwide.
The social network has been stepping up its attempts to develop more AI-powered tools that can produce text, photographs, and other types of content, much like other significant tech companies. In its blog post, Meta stated that their proposal to install 24 fiber pairs of cable “can help ensure that the benefits of AI and other emerging technologies are available to everyone, regardless of where they live or work.”
However, it’s a huge project that will greatly increase Meta’s ability to use and benefit from it, especially when it comes to AI, which demands a lot of processing power.
According to the company, during the last decade, it has collaborated with partners to develop approximately 20 subsea cables. Among Meta’s underwater cables are Marea, which links the US and Spain, and 2Africa Pearls, which links Africa, Europe, and Asia.
Meta’s apps, which include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, are used by over 3 billion people every day.
Concerns that the infrastructure will be targeted during geopolitical conflicts have also increased as a result of the development of underwater cables to deliver internet and telecommunications.
In a joint statement last week, President Trump and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi of India discussed how the two nations are collaborating, mentioning Meta’s undersea cable Project Waterworth.
According to the announcement, India intends to invest in the maintenance, repair, and financing of these undersea cables, and Meta’s Project Waterworth would “strengthen global digital highways” in the Indian Ocean.
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