2025/5/27 23:22:59
In March 2024, Meta—parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—unveiled its largest infrastructure project to date: Project Waterworth. This $10 billion initiative aims to construct the world’s longest subsea fiber-optic cable system, exceeding 50,000 km in total length. It will not only support Meta’s growing AI and data center workloads but also expand global connectivity across high-growth markets, including India, Africa, and South America.
Project Waterworth will feature 24 fiber pairs, surpassing the industry standard of 16, delivering a combined throughput of over 500 Tbps. It utilizes ultra-low-loss fiber optics with advanced spatial-division multiplexing (SDM) and optical amplification technology, creating a global backbone ideal for generative AI, cloud computing, and video streaming.
The system reflects the same high standards seen in specialized cabling such as instrumentation cables and fire resistant cables, where high data integrity and fire safety are essential.
United States: California & Virginia
India: Chennai & Mumbai
Brazil: Fortaleza
Nigeria & South Africa
Singapore, Indonesia, Middle East
These routes provide high-speed fiber broadband access and greater redundancy for regions with growing demand for connectivity. The technology aligns with many global cable standards, such as XP C 32-321 French Standard cables and AS/NZS compliant cables.
Meta is incorporating advanced geo-routing techniques to avoid seismic and geopolitical risks. The cable includes:
Armored sheath with polyethylene insulation & galvanized steel wire
Water-blocking gel for internal protection
Dynamic rerouting via redundant branching units
These designs mirror the durability features found in armoured data cables used in industrial and hazardous zones.
With the rise of large language models (LLMs) and real-time inference workloads, Meta sees bandwidth and latency as critical bottlenecks. Project Waterworth aims to:
Expand Meta’s private global fiber backbone
Reduce dependency on third-party carriers
Lower per-terabit transmission cost
“This is more than just cable — it’s the digital nervous system of the AI-powered world,” said Najam Ahmad, Meta's VP of Infrastructure.
Project Waterworth is expected to influence global standards for low-attenuation fiber cores, repeatered optical systems, and cable sheathing materials. Manufacturers specializing in Profibus cables, long-haul marine trenching, and high-integrity data cables may find new partnership or supply opportunities.
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