While we mostly use the internet wirelessly (your phone to a cell tower or Wi-Fi router), the internet remains a physical connection game. Undersea cables that connect continents remain critical even today.
Yes, that includes you, dear Starlink user. You still rely on the thousands upon thousands of kilometres of cables connecting computers to servers to content delivery networks.
So, we should all be excited to hear Meta’s grand ambition in the undersea cable world.
Meta’s 50,000 km Undersea Cable
Meta has yet another ambitious infrastructure project — Waterworth, a 50,000-kilometre-long undersea cable which should enhance global connectivity.
The cable, the longest ever built, will connect key locations like New York, Los Angeles, Brazil, South Africa, and Asia. Yes, your observation is correct, there is no European country listed there.
As you would imagine, this has brought out all sorts of tinfoil hats. That’s the kind of thing that gets my blood flowing, but it’s not for everyone.
So, for now, we’ll just mention that the leading theory among analysts is that Meta is aiming for greater strategic independence from existing European infrastructure.
By bypassing Europe, Meta could potentially reduce its reliance on European telecommunications providers and regulatory frameworks. Why? We’ll have a special section below for those so inclined.
Back to the cable. Unlike traditional cables, Waterworth will feature 24 fibre pairs, which would offer unmatched data capacity.
The number of fibre pairs in an undersea cable determines how much data it can carry. Most existing undersea cables use 8 to 16 fibre pairs, meaning Waterworth’s 24 fibre pairs will significantly boost capacity.
Each fibre pair can carry terabits per second (Tbps) of data, meaning Waterworth will massively increase global bandwidth.
The cable will be buried up to 7,000 metres deep for durability.
Why is Meta thinking of building this? It should help power AI, cloud gaming, and Meta’s metaverse ambitions.
Meta believes demand is going to increase significantly in the future, and this kind of investment will prove essential.
With billions of dollars expected to be invested, Meta aims to reduce reliance on third-party infrastructure, as we touched on above, and secure a future-proof data highway that takes into account increased demand.
Whether it succeeds or joins the list of abandoned mega-projects remains to be seen, but it appears clear that Zuckerberg wants Meta to control its own future.
On the European Exclusion
If you’re not interested in digging into this, then you’re done with the article. We have already covered the news, and now we dig a little into the exclusion of Europe.
European Regulation:
Europe blessed (or cursed) us with data privacy and regulation, with stuff like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which made web browsing annoying for everyone on earth.
It’s possible that Meta is seeking to minimise its exposure to these regulations by excluding Europe from its direct infrastructure.
It is possible that Meta is trying to avoid future regulatory problems. While we have applauded Europe for forcing Apple to move to USB-C, they tend to go overboard with regulation, and Meta’s move is understandable.
Focus on Emerging Markets:
The chosen route, connecting regions like South America, Africa, and Asia, suggests a strong focus on emerging markets. These areas are experiencing rapid growth in internet usage and data consumption, and Meta may be prioritising infrastructure development in these regions.
How could we, being South Africa’s neighbours as we are, complain about Europe’s exclusion and Africa’s inclusion? It’s usually the other way around, and so, hopefully, the massive untapped potential here is finally being noticed.
I can’t help but assume that Starlink’s popularity in Africa may have shown these other tech giants that Africa and other emerging markets are worth serving.
Existing Infrastructure in Europe:
This is a boring one but could very well be the simple explanation. Europe already has a robust and well-established subsea cable network, with many cables connecting the continent to other parts of the world.
Meta might have judged that further investment in European connectivity is unnecessary or redundant, given the existing infrastructure and its goals for the new cable.
It’s all speculation:
Meta has not shared the reasons for excluding Europe, which has fuelled speculation. Without official clarification, it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact motivations.
We don’t really care, though, as long as Africa remains on that list.
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