Meta Announces Waterworth, 50 Thousand Kilometer Underwater Cable Construction Project

Illustration of the fiber optical underwater cable route (photo: dock. Meta)

JAKARTA At the end of last year Meta was reported to be making a 40,000-kilometer fiber optical underwater cable construction project. The project was finally confirmed by Meta as the Waterworth Project.

The draft that Meta shared was actually longer than the report that had circulated. The company that oversees Instagram and WhatsApp plans to reach five main continents with submarine cables of more than 50,000 kilometers.

This cable stretch is even longer than around Earth. If successful, the Waterworth Project will be the longest underwater cable project in the world with high capacity technology. Meta will present leading connectivity in the US, India, Brazil, and others.

"This project will enable greater economic cooperation, facilitate digital inclusion, and open up opportunities for technology development in these areas," Meta said in a statement quoted on Thursday, February 20.

Meta considers the Waterworth Project a multi-billion dollar and multi-year investment to strengthen the world's digital scale and reliability. This fiber optic underwater cable will provide the high-speed connectivity needed by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Based on the engineering design the company developed, Meta will build the world's longest 24 pairs of fiber optic fiber cables. Meta has also spread its first stomach, maximized cable laying at depths of up to 7,000 meters, and improved cable burial techniques in high-risk fault areas.

Although referred to as 'multi-billion' and 'multi-year' projects, the company did not specify how much funding it spent and how many years the project would last. However, reports circulating last year stated that the project would take about five to ten years.