Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Photo: Getty images
Meta, the US tech giant that owns Facebook and Instagram, has announced the construction of a global submarine cable with a length of more than 50,000 km. The Waterworth project will be the largest in the field of submarine communications and should significantly increase the speed and reliability of data transmission between the US, India, Brazil, South Africa and other countries.
According to the company’s representatives, this ambitious project will require multi-billion dollar investments and will take several years to complete.
Today, there are approximately 450 large submarine cables in operation around the world with a total length of 1.2 million km. They play a critical role in the global digital infrastructure, ensuring the transmission of almost all of the world’s Internet traffic.
Until now, the dominant players in submarine communications have been SubCom (USA), Alcatel Submarine Networks (France), Nippon Electric Company (Japan) and HMN Technologies (China). However, tech giants such as Meta are starting to build their own networks because of the huge economic opportunities they offer.
Submarine cables remain vulnerable to natural disasters, including underwater landslides and tsunamis, as well as accidental damage caused by ship anchors. There are also risks of sabotage and espionage.
Amid the rapid development of artificial intelligence and the growing consumption of digital resources, global internet traffic will continue to increase, making projects like Waterworth essential to the future of global communication.
