Meta is reportedly planning an ambitious fibre-optic subsea internet cable project that could span the globe and carry a price tag exceeding $10 billion. Initially revealed by subsea cable expert Sunil Tagare, the project is expected to be formally announced next year. However, sources close to Meta informed TechCrunch that the initiative is still in its early stages.
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Constructing such infrastructure poses significant challenges. Only a handful of contractors are equipped for the task, many of whom are already engaged in other large-scale commitments. If the plan materializes, it will likely take years before the cable is operational.
While Meta currently holds partial ownership of over a dozen subsea networks, this would mark the company’s first wholly owned and operated cable. Unlike Amazon and Microsoft, which share ownership of cables with other entities, Meta reportedly intends to be the sole user of this system. With Meta’s services accounting for around 10% of global fixed internet usage and 22% of mobile traffic, the infrastructure could reinforce the company’s position in the digital landscape.
The cable’s route is expected to extend from the U.S. east coast to South Africa, India, northern Australia, and finally the west coast, covering an estimated 40,000 km. This path has been carefully designed to bypass high-risk regions such as the Red Sea, South China Sea, Egypt, and other geopolitical flashpoints. Tagare noted that these areas are prone to “major single points of failure,” a risk Meta aims to avoid.
Meta’s goal is to gain greater control over its infrastructure to ensure the stability of its services, particularly as its international revenue surpasses that of North America. While internet service providers and mobile operators will still manage end-user connectivity, the cable would provide Meta with a more robust backbone for its global operations.
The plan emerges amid rising concerns over subsea cable vulnerabilities. Recently, two cables in the Baltic Sea were severed, with investigators pointing to a Chinese trawler possibly influenced by Russian intelligence dragging its anchor along the seabed.
