Meta plans $10 billion subsea cable project

Sources close to the company told TechCrunch that the initiative, which could involve an investment exceeding $10 billion, marks a significant milestone for Meta: its first fully owned subsea cable.

TechCrunch cited subsea cable expert Sunil Tagare, who initially reported on Meta’s plans, as saying that the company intends to begin with a $2 billion budget. However, as the project evolves, that figure could surpass $10 billion, reflecting the scale and complexity of the effort.

While plans are being laid out, the project remains in its early stages, with no physical assets deployed yet. Meta is expected to publicly confirm its plans in early 2025, detailing the cable’s intended route, capacity, and strategic objectives.

Once operational, the cable would provide Meta with a dedicated global data pipeline. According to TechCrunch, current plans outline a route forming a ‘W’ shape, connecting the east coast of the US to India via South Africa, and then looping back to the US west coast via Australia.

This development highlights a broader trend in subsea infrastructure. While subsea cable networks have traditionally been owned by telecom consortiums, tech giants like Meta, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft are increasingly investing in these assets.

Meta already holds stakes in 16 existing subsea networks, including the 2Africa cable, developed alongside partners such as Orange, Vodafone, and China Mobile. However, this new project would mark Meta’s first venture as a sole owner, placing it in the same league as Google, which has exclusive ownership of several regional subsea routes.

Meta's ambitious plans reflect the growing importance of private subsea networks in meeting the data demands of global connectivity. As investment in these networks continues to shift from telecoms to tech giants, the landscape of subsea infrastructure is set to evolve, with significant implications for the electronics and telecommunications industries.