Meta has announced its intention to build a 50,000 km underwater cable (31,000 miles) around the world.
The technology giant said that the Waterworth project – connecting the United States, India, South Africa, Brazil and other regions – will be the longest long -term underwater cable project world.
Meta, who owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, sought to extend her presence in technology beyond social media, including artificial intelligence (AI) and the infrastructure that supports him.
He said his new cable project would provide “cutting -edge connectivity” to five major continents and would help support his AI projects.
“This project will allow greater economic cooperation, will facilitate digital inclusion and open opportunities for technological development in these regions,” said Meta in a blog article.
The cable would be the longest to date which uses a 24 -pairs of fiber system, which gives it higher capacity, depending on the company.
The submarine cables have become increasingly important because they provide the means to supply a variety of digital services and transfer data worldwide.
A regularly quoted statistic suggests that more than 95% of world internet traffic is transferred by underwater cables.
The Telecommunications Telecommunications Market Study company claims that there are currently more than 600 known submarine cable systems in the world.
This includes the 2Africa cable, supported by Meta and Mobile network operators such as Orange, Vodafone and China Mobile, which links three continents and extends over 45,000 km.
And technological companies that serve as main web service providers have invested enormous sums in cable infrastructure.
Google said that in 2024, it would create the first underwater cable connecting Africa and Australia and announced an investment of $ 1 billion to stimulate connectivity in Japan with two new submarine cables in the ocean Peaceful.
Telecommunications and technology analyst Paolo Pescatore told BBC that Meta “has shown a strong desire to have more connectivity slices”.
“This is another demonstration because it seeks to skip its competitors by offering users a unique experience by closely integrating the hardware, software, platform and its increasing aspirations in connectivity,” He declared.
“In the end, these movements, although welcome from the point of view of investments, will increase other eyebrows among regulators and other key stakeholders, given the growing domination of large technologies.”
The growing importance of underwater cables has increased concerns about their vulnerability to attacks or accidents.
Following a series of cut cables, the experts said that the underwater communication infrastructure is an increasing arena for geopolitical tensions and conflicts.
NATO launched a mission in January to increase the surveillance of ships in the Baltic Sea after damage to the cables under criticism last year.
A British parliamentary committee recently appealed to evidence on the resilience of the United Kingdom in the face of potential disruption.
This highlighted a growing concern about “Russian and Chinese capacities to have in -danger underwater infrastructure – in particular during periods of increased tension or conflict”.
Meta said that in his blog article announcing the Waterworth project, he would put his cable system up to 7,000 meters deep and “would use improved burial techniques in high -risk flaws areas, such as waters Save deep near the coast, to avoid damage caused by ships of ships and other dangers. “
