Meta has unveiled an ambitious plan to construct the world’s largest submarine telecommunications cable, a project that aims to enhance connectivity between South Africa and the global network. This monumental cable, named Project Waterworth, will stretch over 50,000 kilometers (31,000 mile)—surpassing the circumference of the Earth—and will link five continents while employing the most advanced high-capacity technology currently available.
The Project Waterworth cable will connect key regions, including the United States, India, Brazil, South Africa, and others. According to Meta, this initiative is designed to foster greater economic cooperation, promote digital inclusion, and create opportunities for technological advancement in these areas. For instance, in India, where there has already been substantial growth and investment in digital infrastructure, the Waterworth project is expected to accelerate this momentum and support the country’s ambitious goals for its digital economy.
A map released by Meta illustrates the proposed route for this high-capacity cable, which will feature a landing station along South Africa’s southern coastline. The construction of this extensive system is projected to cost several billion dollars; however, Meta has not disclosed specific timelines for when construction will commence or when the cable system will be operational.
Project Waterworth will incorporate 24 fiber pairs, significantly exceeding the number of fiber pairs typically found in most existing undersea cable systems. This new project follows Meta’s previous involvement in the development of the 2Africa cable system, which connects Africa, Europe, and the Asian subcontinent.
To ensure the resilience of the cable, Meta is advancing engineering designs that will enable the construction of the longest 24-fiber pair cable project in the world while enhancing the overall speed of deployment. The company plans to implement innovative routing strategies that maximize the cable’s placement in deep waters, reaching depths of up to 7,000 meters. Additionally, enhanced burial techniques will be utilized in high-risk fault areas, such as shallow coastal waters, to mitigate damage from ship anchors and other potential hazards.
Meta’s announcement comes on the heels of a similar initiative by Google, which revealed plans in May to build a new cable system named Umoja, connecting South Africa to Australia. This new project follows Google’s completion of the Equiano cable, which links South Africa to Europe along the western coast of Africa. The Umoja cable will have a terrestrial leg constructed by Liquid Intelligent Technologies and will run through several countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, before crossing the Indian Ocean to reach Australia. Google has highlighted that the cable route will also connect to the Google Cloud region in South Africa.
