Latest news with #ProjectWaterworth
CNBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
Meta and Google are laying a web of globe-spanning subsea cables. We found out what's involved
U.S. hyperscalers Meta and Alphabet 's Google are rolling out a fast-growing web of transcontinental subsea cables, looking to keep pace with ever-increasing bandwidth demand and artificial intelligence workloads. Submarine cables are the backbone of the world's internet and telecommunications infrastructure, enabling everything from international phone calls to financial transactions. While satellites play a complementary role, these largely unseen data super-highways carry the vast majority of global internet traffic. By some estimates , as much of 95% of international traffic passes through fiber-optic cables across the ocean floor. Subsea cables have typically been the domain of telecom giants and state-backed consortiums. However, Silicon Valley giants such as Meta, Google, Amazon and Microsoft have taken on the mantle over the past decade. The conversations around the resilience of this global web, this sort of foundation layer of the internet … is coming more and more to the forefront. Senior director of global submarine networks at Google Nigel Bayliff A steady stream of investment has driven " tremendous growth " in submarine cable infrastructure in recent years, according to Washington, D.C. -based telecoms research firm TeleGeography, which added the trend shows no sign of slowing. "It's definitely an amazing technology," Alan Mauldin, research director at the company, told CNBC by video call. "To be able to send light through an optical fiber thousands and thousands of kilometers across the ocean floor, that's unbelievable right? And [consider] the fact that it works so well and, generally, you don't have any problem with the quality." Project Waterworth Meta recently announced plans to build the world's longest subsea cable. Known as Project Waterworth, the U.S. tech giant said the multi-billion-dollar cable system will reach five continents and span 50,000 kilometers (31,069 miles) — making it longer than the Earth's circumference. When completed, the 24 fiber-pair submarine cable is set to bring high-capacity technology to the U.S., India, Brazil and South Africa, among other key regions. Alex Aime, head of network infrastructure at Meta — which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — said the landmark project was led by three objectives: achieving capacity, resiliency and global reach. "First, we really need to increase capacity. AI requires a few different things, it requires compute, it requires data and it requires connectivity," Aime told CNBC by video call. "And when you're talking connectivity, you're not just talking about terrestrial connectivity, in terms of data centers, but you're also talking about intercontinental connectivity." Aime said Meta has invested in about 30 cables since the early 2010s, although not all of these are currently operational. Read more Baltic Sea nations seek to limit further incidents after cable breaches Undersea cable cuts in the Baltic Sea are stoking geopolitical tensions — here's what's going on The next front in U.S.-China tech battle? Underwater cables that power the global internet On resiliency, Aime said that constrained corridors, geopolitical factors and reliability challenges were among the reasons driving the firm's push to improve the diversity of deep-sea cables. "We fundamentally believe that AI should not be something that is limited to just individuals in the U.S. but something that can benefit everyone. So, Waterworth enables us to ensure that global connectivity," Aime said. How do subsea cables work? Google, which has invested in more than 30 cables around the world, recently announced the launch of Sol subsea cable system, saying it will connect the U.S., Bermuda, the Azores and Spain. The project is designed to help meet growing customer demand for Google Cloud and AI services across the globe. "In reality, since the dawn of the data age, 99% of all data transmission between countries where they are separated by an ocean has been carried on submarine cables. It facilitates everything," Nigel Bayliff, senior director of global submarine networks at Google, told CNBC by video call. "The conversations around the resilience of this global web, this sort of foundation layer of the internet … is coming more and more to the forefront," he added. In practice, subsea cables are about the size of a garden hose and carry a package of fibers to transmit data from point A to point B. The development process of laying one can take about four years, Bayliff said, noting that this includes route selection, survey permits, manufacturing, installation permits, installation, testing, operational permits and building a cable. "It is really very straightforward and no different to how the first cables were laid in the 1850s. We put the cable into a huge ship in a reverse format and we start from one end and very slowly lay it out to the other end," Bayliff said. "After that, it's there. We power it. We test the equipment on it and, with our fingers crossed, that should be it for 20 years of solid service." Researchers at the U.K.'s Oxford Internet Institute said Meta and Google's rollout of large-scale subsea cables underscores the fact that Big Tech firms "are now large enough to have a business case for individually financing something that previously required a consortium to make economic sense." This shift may also raise questions for policymakers concerned about the growing concentration of digital infrastructure, the researchers noted in a March blog post .
WIRED
19-02-2025
- Business
- WIRED
Meta Will Build the World's Longest Undersea Cable
Feb 19, 2025 6:19 AM Meta's Waterworth Project will provide internet connectivity on five continents, with landing points in India, the United States, Brazil, and South Africa. Meta has presented the Waterworth Project, an initiative aimed at building a 50,000-kilometer undersea cable that will provide internet connectivity in five continents. The company seeks to strengthen control over the management of its services and guarantee the necessary infrastructure for the development of its products, especially those based in artificial intelligence. Submarine cables support more than 95 percent of intercontinental internet traffic. 'Project Waterworth will be a multibillion dollar, multiyear investment to strengthen the scale and reliability of the world's digital highways by opening three new oceanic corridors with the abundant, high-speed connectivity needed to drive AI innovation around the world,' the company said in a post about the undertaking. The project was first reported last fall by entrepreneur Sunil Tagare. The interoceanic cable will be longer than the circumference of the Earth, making it the longest in the world, according to the company. It will have landing points in India, the United States, Brazil, South Africa, and other strategic locations. The company suggests that the construction of this network will bring significant opportunities in the AI space, particularly in the Indian market. "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," the compay's post reads. Last week, President Donald Trump and India's prime minister Shri Narendra Modi issued a joint statement on cooperation between the two countries. The document includes commitments on undersea technologies and mentions Project Waterworth. "Supporting greater Indian Ocean connectivity, the leaders also welcomed Meta's announcement of a multibillion, multiyear investment in an undersea cable project that will begin work this year and ultimately stretch over 50,000 km to connect five continents and strengthen global digital highways in the Indian Ocean region and beyond," the statement released by the White House said. The new undersea network will use a cable architecture with 24 fiber pairs and routing designed to maximize deep-water routing, reaching up to 7,000 meters. Meta claims to have improved its burial techniques in high-risk areas, such as shallow near-shore waters, to reduce the risk of damage from ship anchors and other external factors. Meta's ecosystem, which includes services such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, by some accounts comprises as much as 10 percent of fixed traffic and 22 percent of mobile traffic globally. Over the past decade, the company has developed more than 20 undersea cables in collaboration with various partners. Waterworth would be the first project to be fully owned by the company. With this initiative, Meta will compete directly with Google, which has around 33 undersea cable routes, some of them exclusively owned, according to the specialist firm TeleGeography. Other technology companies such as Amazon and Microsoft are also investing in this sector, although they only own shared interests or acquire capacity on existing cables. This story originally appeared on WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Meta says it plans to build the world's longest undersea internet cable
Facebook's parent company Meta said it's working on the world's longest undersea cable as part of the social media giant's efforts to connect more people to high-speed internet. Called Project Waterworth, the massive cable spanning more than 50,000 kilometers will bring "industry-leading connectivity" to the United States, India, Brazil, South Africa and other regions, Meta said. "This project will enable greater economic cooperation, facilitate digital inclusion, and open opportunities for technological development in these regions," Meta said in a blog post on Feb. 14. Meta expects the multibillion-dollar project will be completed toward the end of the decade, but didn't provide a specific year or estimates of how much it will cost. Tech leaders including Meta, Google, Amazon and Microsoft have been investing heavily in undersea cables for years as a way to provide more affordable and reliable internet across the globe. As more people connect to the internet to chat and stream videos, these investments also allow tech companies to attract more users to their services. An estimated 95% of global internet traffic travels through subsea cables, making them the backbone of the internet, according to a 2024 report from the Global Digital Inclusion Partnership. Like other major tech firms, the social network has been ramping up efforts to build more artificial intelligence-powered tools that can generate text, images and other content. Meta said in its blog post that its 24 fiber pair cable project "can help ensure that the benefits of AI and other emerging technologies are available to everyone, regardless of where they live or work." The company said it has developed more than 20 subsea cables with partners over the last decade. Some of Meta's undersea cables have included 2Africa Pearls, connecting Africa, Europe and Asia, and Marea, connecting the United States with Spain. More than 3 billion people use one of Meta's apps daily, which include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. The expansion of undersea cables to provide internet and telecommunications has also heightened concerns that the infrastructure will be targeted during geopolitical conflicts. Last year, underwater cables in the Red Sea, lying between Africa and Asia, were cut and disrupted internet service. It was unclear how the cables were damaged and Yemen's Houthi rebels denied attacking the lines to pressure Israel to end its war on Hamas in Gaza, the Associated Press reported. Meta's latest investments also come as its Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg tries to mend a strained relationship with President Trump, who he's previously sparred with over immigration issues and content moderation. This year, Meta ended its third-party fact-checking program, relying instead on users to write notes under misleading posts, and rolled back DEI efforts that Trump has criticized. Zuckerberg also praised Trump in Meta's quarterly earnings call in January, noting that his administration "prioritizes American technology winning" and has visited the president at the White House. Last week, the White House mentioned Meta's undersea cable project in a joint statement from President Trump and India's Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi about how the two countries are working together. Meta's project, the statement said, would "strengthen global digital highways" in the Indian Ocean and India plans to invest in the maintenance, repair and financing of these undersea cables. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
18-02-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Meta says it plans to build the world's longest undersea internet cable
Facebook's parent company Meta said it's working on the world's longest undersea cable as part of the social media giant's efforts to connect more people to high-speed internet. Called Project Waterworth, the massive cable spanning more than 50,000 kilometers will bring 'industry-leading connectivity' to the United States, India, Brazil, South Africa and other regions, Meta said. 'This project will enable greater economic cooperation, facilitate digital inclusion, and open opportunities for technological development in these regions,' Meta said in a blog post on Feb. 14. Meta expects the multi-billion dollar project will be completed toward the end of the decade, but didn't provide a specific year or estimates of how much it will cost. Tech leaders including Meta, Google, Amazon and Microsoft have been investing heavily in undersea cables for years as a way to provide more affordable and reliable internet across the globe. As more people connect to the internet to chat and stream videos, these investments also allow tech companies to attract more users to their services. An estimated 95% of global internet traffic travels through subsea cables, making them the backbone of the internet, according to a 2024 report from the Global Digital Inclusion Partnership. Like other major tech firms, the social network has been ramping up efforts to build more artificial intelligence-powered tools that can generate text, images and other content. Meta said in its blog post that its 24 fiber pair cable project 'can help ensure that the benefits of AI and other emerging technologies are available to everyone, regardless of where they live or work.' The company said it has developed more than 20 subsea cables with partners over the last decade. Some of Meta's undersea cables have included 2Africa Pearls, connecting Africa, Europe and Asia, and Marea, connecting the United States with Spain. More than 3 billion people use one of Meta's apps daily, which include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. The expansion of undersea cables to provide internet and telecommunications has also heightened concerns that the infrastructure will be targeted during geopolitical conflicts. Last year, underwater cables in the Red Sea, lying between Africa and Asia, were cut and disrupted internet service. It was unclear how the cables were damaged and Yemen's Houthi rebels denied attacking the lines to pressure Israel to end its war on Hamas in Gaza, the Associated Press reported. Meta's latest investments also comes as its Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg tries to mend a strained relationship with President Trump, who he's previously sparred with over immigration issues and content moderation. This year, Meta ended its third-party fact-checking program, relying instead on users to write notes under misleading posts, and rolled back DEI efforts that Trump has criticized. Zuckerberg also praised Trump in its quarterly earnings call in January, noting that his administration 'prioritizes American technology winning' and has visited the president at the White House. Last week, the White House mentioned Meta's undersea cable project in a joint statement from President Trump and India's Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi about how the two countries are working together. Meta's project, the statement said, would 'strengthen global digital highways' in the Indian Ocean and India plans to invest in the maintenance, repair and financing of these undersea cables.
Euronews
18-02-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Meta to build 'ambitious' 50,000 km subsea cable around the world
Meta, the parent company of social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is aiming to build the world's longest subsea cable. Project Waterworth will see a 50,000-kilometre-long subsea cable connect five continents from its laying point 7,000 m under the ocean. Over 99 per cent of international data exchanges are carried by underwater cables, according to the International Telecommunications Union. Meta's cable would use a 24 fibre-pair system, which will give the connections the cable makes to the United States, India, Brazil, and South Africa a "higher capacity," Meta continued. The tech giant added that the subsea cable will "enable greater economic cooperation, facilitate digital inclusion, and open opportunities for technological development in these regions". It is also envisaged that it will support the company's artificial intelligence (AI) projects. "Project Waterworth will be a multi-billion dollar, multi-year investment to strengthen the scale and reliability of the world's digital highways by opening three new oceanic corridors with the abundant, high-speed connectivity needed to drive AI innovation around the world," the company wrote in a blog post. Meta didn't specify a timeline for the project or the budget for its implementation. Attacks on subsea cables The world has just under 600 cable systems with 1700 landings that are either active or under construction, according to telecommunications firm TeleGeography. Meta has already developed 20 subsea cables, including the 2Africa Pearls extension that connects Africa, Europe, and Asia with a 45,000-kilometre-long cable. Meta is also one of several US-based Big Tech firms that are starting to invest more in cable infrastructure. In 2024 alone, Google announced a $1 billion (€960 million) investment in two new cables through the Pacific Ocean to Japan and that it would build a subsea cable to connect Africa to Australia. Subsea cables have been a focus in recent months due to their vulnerability with a string of investigations taking place in Baltic Sea states over alleged 'sabotage' attempts, most often by Russian vessels. NATO said it is stepping up patrols in the Baltic Sea as a result and is planning to deploy an AI tool to help detect ships that are behaving suspiciously. expert told Euronews.
