Meta (META, Financial) is planning a major investment in its proprietary subsea cable network that may exceed $10 billion. This new venture would cover more than 40,000 km and connect the United States with South Africa, India, and Australia. By means of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, which together constitute roughly 10% of fixed and 22% of mobile internet traffic, Meta intends to bolster its control over the infrastructure.
This is still in its infancy, but the company has proposed a subsea cable project, Meta could get priority on these networks. It could further help improve internet connectivity to some unserved and underserved communities. It is believed to form a “W” beginning with the East Coast of the United States, South to Cape Town in Africa, to Mumbai and Chennai in India, Darwen in Australia, and then up the West Coast of the United States. According to sources, it could become operational by 2025. However, some say there could be a delay for some reasons, including high demand for cable laying ships given that they are already booking up as far as the middle of the next decade.
This ambitious project complements others like Google, which have engaged in subsea cable investment to boost service provision and respond to connectivity issues. Just as Meta seeks to reinforce its worldwide connections, its multi-billion-dollar gamble on subsea pipelines might alter the world's digital infrastructure, but it still exposes the company to the risk of cost escalation or excessive regulation.
