Project Waterworth has been announced by Meta, which will build the world’s longest underwater cable project. The project involves a cable longer than the Earth’s circumference, which is a 50,000 km (31,000-mile) subsea cable. The project aims to connect the regions like the US, India, South Africa, Brazil, and others.
As more than 95% of the world’s internet traffic is transferred through undersea cables, this project will help increase opportunities in digital infrastructure and the digital economy.
Project Waterworth highlights:
This massive project will build a 50,000 km undersea cable, which will help to provide internet connectivity in five continents-
India, the USA, Brazil, and South Africa.
Project Waterworth includes the longest cable to date with a 24 fibre-pair system that gives it a higher capacity.
A blog post by Meta states that “this project will enable greater economic cooperation, facilitate digital inclusion, and open opportunities for technological development in these regions.”
The project will also provide support to its AI projects along with “industry-leading connectivity” to five major continents.
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It is also said by Meta that in the project, the cable system will be laid up to 7,000 meters deep and enhanced burial techniques will be used in high-risk fault areas, such as shallow waters near the coast, to avoid damage from ship anchors and other hazards.
It is definitely going to enhance technological development in mentioned continents and will help in transferring data worldwide at speed.
It is said by Prof. Lehdonvirta that connecting the US with major, contested markets in the Southern Hemisphere could be viewed as “bolstering US economic and infrastructural power abroad.”
A huge sum is invested by all major web services provider tech firms in cable infrastructure.
In 2024, Google announced a $1 bn investment in building the first sub-sea cable connecting Africa and Australia.
