Sources: Meta plans to build a fiber-optic subsea cable that is 40,000+ kilometers long and extends around the world, a project that could cost more than $10B

Meta, the parent of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is the second-biggest driver of internet usage globally.

TechCrunch 2024-11-30 Ingrid Lunden

Context & Ripple Effects

The reported plan extends Meta's existing interest in subsea connectivity: earlier coverage examined Meta and Google's African cable investments and the need for terrestrial links to reach users. It was later formalized in Meta's Project Waterworth announcement, which described a longer system connecting five continents.

The proposal matters because it positions Meta's network capacity as a strategic asset alongside its consumer services, rather than solely a service purchased from telecom providers.

First-order effects

Meta would undertake a major long-lived infrastructure commitment, potentially gaining more direct control over capacity and routing for traffic generated by Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The project would create a concentrated, large-scale demand opportunity for subsea-cable construction and related network equipment, contingent on the plan moving into execution.

Second-order effects

Telecom carriers and other large platforms may face a buyer that is also becoming a more substantial owner of international network infrastructure, reshaping negotiations over capacity and routes.
Meta's later fiber procurement commitment with Corning for AI data centers underscores its broader appetite for owning critical connectivity inputs, though that deal is distinct from the proposed subsea system.

Third-order effects

If major platforms continue funding their own long-haul networks, internet infrastructure ownership could shift further from traditional carriers toward the companies that generate the most traffic.
That concentration could make cross-border cable routes a more prominent strategic and policy concern, particularly where platforms' private infrastructure intersects with national connectivity priorities.

The trend: This is part of a buyer-led infrastructure buildout in which the largest internet platforms increasingly finance the physical networks their services depend on.

Discussion

@mazdaksafaei Mazdak on threads
Tech giants like Google have already paved this path, and now Meta is doubling down on its own infrastructure. Could this reshape the internet's future? Possibly. One thing is clear: Meta isn't just connecting people anymore; it's connecting continents.
@mazdaksafaei Mazdak on threads
Meta's Next Big Play: A 40,000+ km Fiber Optic Cable, $10B+ Investment (Here's why this matters) Meta is diving deep into infrastructure with plans to build a fiber-optic subsea cable that stretches across the globe.
@mazdaksafaei Mazdak on threads
This isn't just any cable—it's 40,000 km long and projected to cost over $10 billion. And for the first time, Meta will be the sole owner and user of this massive project.
@mazdaksafaei Mazdak on threads
Think about it: the same company that connects billions through Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp will now own a critical piece of internet infrastructure. Why now?
@harlancohen Harlan Cohen on threads
Why aren't more people talking about this? This is huge.
@mazdaksafaei Mazdak on threads
• Control & Growth: Meta's platforms drive 10% of global fixed and 22% of mobile internet traffic. As their AI innovations push data usage even higher, Meta wants to ensure reliable, scalable bandwidth.
@rene_sellmann René Sellmann on threads
What It Means for Investors: This project underscores Meta's transformation into a broader tech (infrastructure) player, moving beyond just social media and into AI and data infrastructure. It once again underscores Meta's commitment to super long-term investments in areas that …
@mazdaksafaei Mazdak on threads
• Future-Proofing for AI: There's speculation that Meta could leverage this infrastructure for AI training hubs in India—a country where compute costs are significantly lower and demand for AI solutions is booming.
@documentingmeta @documentingmeta on threads
$META is set to invest $10 billion in a massive 40,000-kilometer subsea fiber-optic cable network, dubbed “W,” connecting the U.S., India, South Africa, and Australia The project avoids high-risk sabotage zones like the Red Sea and South China Sea, giving Meta full traffic contro…
@nachristakis.bsky.social Nicholas A. Christakis on bluesky
Meta plans to build a fiberoptic subsea cable extending around the world — a 40,000+ kilometer project that could total more than $10 billion. It will be the sole owner and user of this cable — a first for the company and a milestone for its infrastructure efforts. — techcrunc…
@hqcook.bsky.social Hugh Cook on bluesky
How does this compare or relate to Starlink? Anything you can do terrestrially is cheaper than the same function accomplished via space. So, whether long haul, regional, or last mile, Starlink is vulnerable to displacement by cheaper terrestrial means. Iridium, Globalstar, Orb…
@heddita.bsky.social @heddita.bsky.social on bluesky
interesting to see how they expand in this. this is a pretty big, ambitious project that won't help customers. yet another billionaire owning the pipes, but the cost of these things is insane. they usually share the investment with other companies.
@edadamsa2.bsky.social Ed Adams on bluesky
I'm old enough to remember a time when billionaires used their money to build libraries, museums, hospitals and universities.
@sanjanah.bsky.social Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa on bluesky
“India could become the training capital of the world,” Tagare said in an interview. He believes that Meta might well want to build AI training in the country around that infrastructure. Meta plans to build a $10B subsea cable spanning the world techcrunch.com/2024/11/29/m... …
@seanokane.bsky.social Sean O'Kane on bluesky
Meta is secretly working on a 40,000+ km undersea internet cable project that could cost as much as $10 billion — techcrunch.com/2024/11/29/m...
@ahamednishadh Ahamed Nishadh on x
This is huge.. first time a single company will have ownership of a cable that will run from one end of the world to the other.. this together with the 16 other cables it part owns, Meta could deliver their content to customers within seconds.. Google is the only other content pr…
@pigol1 @pigol1 on x
@RihardJarc I am surprised that it took them so long to lay down their own cross-continental pipes. For the data they must be moving across their DCs the bills would be astronomical. It would only go up with more AI adoption.
@rscottwilly @rscottwilly on x
@RihardJarc He's way behind $GOOGL on underwater cables. How is this vision? It has been going on for years.
@ebitdaddy90 @ebitdaddy90 on x
If this same decision / announcement was made in 2022 you idiots would have called him a completely retarded chimpanzee
@jimpethokoukis James Pethokoukis on x
Connection is at the core of Up Wing economics
@lindenjohan Johan Lindén on x
@RihardJarc I don't see why this company shouldn't be the biggest in the world five year from now. Biggest customer base that also have their customers dependent on the product in all sorts of ways. Did I hear someone mention network effects?
@thexcapitalist @thexcapitalist on x
$META has already a giant moat and it's now building its own subsea cable infrastructure to basically own the internet. This is a $1.4 trillion company that effortlessly posted 20% YoY growth last quarter. It's trading at 22 times forward earnings. Cheapest mega cap by far. [imag…
@rihardjarc Rihard Jarc on x
$META plans to build a $10B subsea cable spanning across the world. Some people still don't get it. $META is not a social media company. Never doubt Zuck's ability to see where the puck is going.
@deitaone @deitaone on x
$META - META PLANS TO BUILD A $10B SUBSEA CABLE SPANNING THE WORLD TechCrunch has confirmed with sources close to the company that Meta plans to build a new, major, fibre-optic subsea cable extending around the world — a 40,000+ kilometer project that could total more than $10
@skorusark Sam Korus on x
It's different, but interesting that the cost estimate is $10 billion, which was also the rough estimate for the Starlink constellation.
@renesellmann Rene Sellmann on x
Forget the metaverse—Meta's next big play could be under the ocean with a $10B subsea cable project .... Here's what you need to know ⬇️ Meta is reportedly planning a new subsea cable project (the “mother of all submarine cables"), internally dubbed “W,” aiming to establish a [im…
@rohanpaul_ai Rohan Paul on x
🔥 Meta plans to build and solely own a massive 40,000+ kilometer subsea fiber-optic cable, expected to cost over $10 billion. → The cable's W-shaped route strategically avoids geopolitical hotspots, connecting US East Coast to India via South Africa, then to US West Coast via [im…
@sundeep Sunny Madra on x
When you get frustrated with internet speeds and decide to build your own around the earth cable
@fomocapdao @fomocapdao on x
Which can be easily cut by anyone. Why not the low orbit satellites?
@lifebypixels Mark Heaps on x
People have been sleeping on Meta. This idea that they are still a Facebook company rather than one of the strongest tech ecosystems on the planet. With an increasing moat and lowering dependency on others every quarter, they are positioning to take position from Goog and MSFT.
@jai_bhavnani Jai Bhavnani on x
Meta spending $10b on a subsea cable This feels ripe for disruption by DePin
r/tech r on reddit
Meta plans to build a $10B subsea cable spanning the world, sources say | TechCrunch
r/technology r on reddit
Meta plans to build a $10B subsea cable spanning the world, sources say

Chronicles