Meta Is Planning To Run A Cable Across The Globe? Here's What We Know

The initial investment for this massive undertaking is estimated at $2 billion, but as the project advances, the total cost is projected to rise to approximately $10 billion.

Meta is expected to release further details regarding the cable's route, capacity, and objectives in early 2025.

Source : Unsplash/Mariia Shalabaieva

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is reportedly planning an ambitious project to lay a subsea cable that spans the globe. While the scale may seem extraordinary, it aligns with the company’s significant presence in the digital landscape, contributing nearly 10% of fixed internet traffic and 22% of mobile internet traffic worldwide.

According to a report by TechCrunch, citing insiders, Meta aims to install a fibre-optic cable exceeding 40,000 kilometers in length.

How Much Will It Cost Meta?

The initial investment for this massive undertaking is estimated at $2 billion, but as the project advances, the total cost is projected to rise to approximately $10 billion. For a company of Meta's size and influence, this represents a substantial but manageable investment.

Although the plans have been outlined, sources refrained from confirming budget specifics. Meta is expected to release further details regarding the cable's route, capacity, and objectives in early 2025. The completion and full operational deployment of the cable are likely to take several years, highlighting the project's complexity and long-term vision.

Submarine cable industry analyst Ranulf Scarborough in a statement to TechCrunch said, cable ships are “expensive at the minute and booked out several years ahead.”

If implemented, the undersea cable project would provide Meta with a dedicated global data transmission network. The proposed route is expected to extend from the eastern United States to India via South Africa and then loop back to the western United States through Australia.

For those unfamiliar, this isn't Meta's first venture into undersea communication cables. The company is already a co-owner of 16 such networks, including the recently developed 2Africa cable.