In order to improve worldwide data transmission, including for artificial intelligence applications, Facebook’s parent company, Meta, has announced plans to install a 50,000-kilometer underwater cable system that will cut across five continents.
In an effort to boost global connectivity and meet the rising demand for AI-driven technology, the business announced that the cable would link the US, South Africa, India, Brazil, and other countries.
The tech behemoth revealed this information in a blog post published on Tuesday. It did not, however, provide a completion date for the project.
Significance of undersea cables
A 2024 research by the US-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies said that worldwide digital communication depended on a vast network of underwater cables, with some 1.2 million kilometres already in place.
It further stated that these cables, which transported enormous volumes of data across continents, served as the foundation of the internet infrastructure.
Project Waterworth will provide industry-leading connections to the United States, India, Brazil, South Africa, and other strategic locations, according to a portion of the post.
Greater economic collaboration, digital inclusion, and prospects for technological advancement in these regions will all be made possible by this project.
“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,” a part of the statement reads.
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What to know about undersea cables
According to the corporation, undersea cables are usually composed of several fiber-optic strands that are shielded from environmental harm by armoured sheaths.
For added security, it mentioned that several of these cables were buried several meters below the seafloor.
According to Meta, the new cable project was created to improve global connection and meet the growing demand for fast data transfer, especially for cloud computing and AI-driven services.
The company added, “We’ve driven infrastructure innovation with various partners over the past decade, developing more than 20 subsea cables.”
“This includes multiple deployments of industry-leading subsea cables of 24 fibre pairs—compared to the typical 8 to 16 fibre pairs of other new systems,” it emphasised.