Few people know it, but submarine cables provide more than 90% of global internet connections. Without them, no data could pass from servers to our devices, and vice versa. It’s no surprise that Meta puts his hand in his pocket to ensure his connections.
Cost of project “W”? “An investment of 10 billion dollars, spread over the next five to ten years”, described on LinkedIn Sunil Tagare, entrepreneur based in Silicon Valley and specialist in the field. Adding that this project will “shock the whole world.
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A project “dedicated to India”
Announced by TechCrunch magazine and confirmed by sources close to the company, the “W” project has not yet been made official. Sources close to Meta nevertheless confirmed that the project existed even if it was only in its early stages. Noting that while plans are in place, physical construction has not yet begun. The company reportedly plans to publicly disclose more details about the cable’s route, capacity and purpose in early 2025. But analysts haven’t waited to comment.
Sunil Tagare already published several analyzes last October. For him, the route was carefully designed to avoid geopolitically sensitive areas, such as the Red Sea and the South China Sea. The objective: to secure transmissions while guaranteeing optimal global coverage. “It is more important to have long-term security and peace of mind than to worry about despotic countries and their endless problems.”he explains. Adding that in this way, Meta avoids “ransom payments on a regular basis such as in Egypt and Yemen.
A first fiber optic connection between Europe and South America
But Meta’s main objective in this project would essentially target India. “With one billion users across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, India is already Meta’s largest market in terms of users, surpassing the United States. And imagine if all of these users started using AI in one form or another. This requires massive investments in data centers in India and undersea cables for connectivity.further specifies Sunil Tagare.
To achieve its objectives, Meta is pulling out all the stops by counting on a budget estimated at $2 billion just for the bare frame cable. To this we must add “$2 billion for ignition equipment”et “at least $6 billion in leasing or building capacity for AI data centers in India.” That’s an investment of $10 billion, spread over the next five to ten years.
In line with Google, which already owns long sections of submarine cables, this initiative also aims to reduce Meta’s dependence on traditional telecom operators. “Meta will own 100% of the capacity of this cable”analyzes Sunil Tagare again, which would give him a very interesting monopoly. Specialist Ranulf Scarborough, interviewed by Submarine Cable Map, affirms that this project will take several years to realize. He points in particular to the few existing vessels capable of laying this type of cable and the lack of availability. “W” was only to be usable from 2029-2030.
