The world’s largest social media company, Meta, has officially announced a massive undersea cable project, “Project Waterworth,” aimed at revolutionizing digital infrastructure. This extensive network spanning 50,000 kilometers will serve as a digital data highway linking five continents around the globe.
This project not only focuses on laying undersea cables but also aims to support advancements in AI (artificial intelligence) and cloud technology, invigorate the digital economies of emerging markets, and strengthen global connectivity. Through these efforts, Meta plans to enhance the global internet infrastructure to become more stable and efficient.
Currently, about 95% of internet traffic on Earth is transmitted via undersea cables. Despite advancements in satellite internet technology, the role of undersea fiber optic cables in transmitting massive amounts of data quickly and reliably remains crucial.
In the past, national telecommunications operators led the construction of undersea cable infrastructure, but recently, global IT giants like Meta, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have been directly involved. To handle the enormous internet traffic from data centers, AI computations, and cloud services, an ultra-large network infrastructure exceeding existing telecommunications networks is essential.
Meta’s Project Waterworth emerged from this trend. By applying new fiber optic cable technology that offers up to three times the data transmission capacity of existing systems, it is designed to meet the exploding global data traffic demands for decades to come.
The core of this project is to connect five continents through an ultra-large undersea cable infrastructure. Meta plans to directly connect major hub countries by establishing three new ocean corridors.
High-Speed 24-Pair Fiber Optic System
While existing undersea cables use 8 to 16 pairs of fiber optics, Project Waterworth will be equipped with 24 pairs, significantly increasing data capacity and allowing for the stable accommodation of the exploding traffic of AI and cloud services.
7,000m Deep-Sea Routing Technology
Undersea cables need to secure stability not only in deep waters but also along coastlines and shores. This project applies deep-sea routing technology capable of installation at depths of up to 7,000 meters, minimizing cable damage due to earthquakes or changes in ocean currents.
AI-Based Optimization Solutions Applied
The integration of AI to optimize network operations in real-time will also be introduced. This includes autonomous network management technologies, such as automatic cable route adjustments and immediate alternative route settings in case of disruptions.
Project Waterworth goes beyond merely connecting the internet. It plays a role in directly linking the U.S. and emerging markets (India, Brazil, South Africa), which are showing rapid growth in the digital economy and are emerging as key strategic bases for AI and cloud infrastructure expansion. Once established, these emerging market countries will enjoy faster and more stable internet environments.
This project prepares Meta for the AI and cloud computing era by building long-term infrastructure, not just strengthening internet connectivity. As AI-based services evolve, a superfast data transmission network infrastructure becomes essential because the current internet infrastructure has limitations in training large AI models and processing real-time data.
The reason Meta is strengthening its cloud and data center operations and making massive investments in the undersea cable project is precisely due to these needs. As the growth of the AI industry accelerates, the importance of this project will only increase.
It’s not only Meta investing in the undersea cable business. Giants like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have also joined the competitive field of undersea cable construction.
◎ Google: Conducting the “Equiano” project linking Africa and Europe
◎ Amazon: Expanding dedicated undersea cables for AWS (Amazon Web Services)
◎ Microsoft: Building data transmission networks to enhance AI cloud computation
The reason IT companies are investing directly in network infrastructure is simple: to control data transmission speed, reduce operating costs, and improve global service quality.
The internet infrastructure market, previously led by telecommunications companies, is now being restructured around big tech companies. Meta’s Project Waterworth is expected to accelerate this trend even further.
“Is Meta’s undersea cable an essential infrastructure in the digital age?”
Project Waterworth is not merely about constructing an undersea cable but a large-scale project that will determine the future internet infrastructure.
When this network is completed, a high-speed data transmission network will be established, preparing for the AI and cloud era, and emerging market countries will be able to achieve a more developed digital environment.
However, as big tech companies directly seize internet infrastructure, concerns about network monopoly are also growing. If specific companies control data transmission routes, issues such as competition restrictions or information censorship could arise.
Ultimately, it will be crucial for global IT companies, including Meta, to strike a balance between technological innovation and network openness.