Meta, on Friday, confirmed that it is investing billions in building the world’s longest undersea cable to connect five continents. Called Project Waterworth, the 50,000 km long cable will connect India, US, Brazil, South Africa and other “key regions”. This project was mentioned in the joint statement released by India and the US during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington on Thursday.
The two countries announced the launch of Indian Ocean Strategic Venture, a “bilateral, whole-of-government forum to advance coordinated investments in economic connectivity and commerce”. Under this venture, India intends to invest in maintenance, repair and financing of undersea cables in the Indian Ocean, using trusted vendors.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the company said: “Meta is investing in India – one of its largest markets – bringing the world’s longest, highest capacity and most technologically advanced subsea cable project to connect India, the US, and other locations. This new, multi-billion dollar investment will stretch over 50,000 km to connect five continents, enhancing the scale and reliability of the global digital highways that power Meta’s apps and services, and will be ready for service at the end of the decade. Driven by India’s growing demand for digital services, this investment reaffirms Meta’s commitment to economic growth, resilient infrastructure, and digital inclusion, supporting India’s thriving digital landscape and fostering technological innovation.”