This Monday, it was announced that social media giant Meta plans to install its own private submarine fiber optic cable that will extend worldwide.
According to data from Statista, in 2023, Meta Platforms generated $133 billion in revenue through its Family of Apps (FoA) segment. The FoA of the U.S.-based tech company includes established platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. Reality Labs, which encompasses Meta’s augmented and virtual reality products, generated just over $1.8 billion in 2022.
Meta and Its New Plan
According to a new report, Meta (the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) is expected to announce plans early next year to install over 40,000 kilometers of submarine fiber optic cables. This project could cost more than $10 billion, sources close to the company told TechCrunch.
The cables would be exclusively owned by Meta, the second-largest driver of internet usage globally, accounting for 22% of all mobile traffic, according to the report.
The cables’ route would potentially extend from the U.S. East Coast to India via South Africa and then from India through Australia to the U.S. West Coast, the report stated.
Experts note that the company has a long checklist of hurdles to overcome before executing these ambitious plans, including finding companies to install the cable.
“There is a really limited supply of cable ships,” Ranulf Scarborough, a submarine cable industry analyst, told TechCrunch.
“They are expensive right now and booked several years in advance. Finding available resources to do this soon is a challenge,” he added.
If completed, the circuit would become the first privately owned and operated global fiber optic cable project.
According to TechCrunch, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and other major tech companies own portions of other global cable systems, but none owns a fully private line.
Experts also suggest several factors motivate Meta to make such a significant investment in infrastructure. The company could privately support its vast internet traffic across its platforms, reducing dependence on telecom companies that have otherwise fallen behind in the tech race in the dawn of the internet era.
Experts further note that Meta is motivated to safeguard itself from geopolitical conflicts that have resulted in both collateral and direct damage to submarine cables.
Last week, a cable was cut in European waters, prompting Sweden to call on China to cooperate in an investigation that implicated a vessel controlled by the communist nation, according to the Associated Press.
The company’s planned route aims to “avoid areas of geopolitical tension,” a source close to the company told TechCrunch.
In May, U.S. national security officials warned Meta, Google, and other companies that submarine internet cables might be at risk of tampering by ships controlled by China.
Earlier this month, the FCC announced its first comprehensive review of submarine cable licensing rules in decades, intending to modernize regulations and ensure the security of vital infrastructure.
Meta’s project is still in the early stages of development and will require years of planning, the report states.
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