What Is Meta's 50,000 Kilometers Global Subsea ‘Project Waterworth'

New Delhi: Meta — owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp is bringing the world’s longest 50,000 Kilometers undersea cable system, “Project Waterworth” to India, one of its largest markets.

The 50,000-km subsea cable, set to be operational by the decade's end, will link five continents and surpass the earth's circumference in length.

The announcement, made as part of the recent PM Modi-Trump's joint statement, highlights Meta’s focus on India's expanding digital landscape.

What is ‘Project Waterworth’?

The undersea cable network is vital for internet connectivity, connecting countries and allowing local telecom operators to serve customers. This investment comes as telecom operators push for big tech firms, like Meta, to help expand network infrastructure and alleviate data traffic congestion.

A Meta spokesperson was quoted saying, “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,” 

Meta's Project Waterworth will use advanced routing methods and innovative cable burial techniques to safeguard against damage in high-risk areas like shallow coastal waters. The cable will extend to depths of up to 7,000 meters in deep waters.

US-India Joint Statement on Undersea Cable

The White House on Thursday, released a joint leaders' statement from U.S. President Trump and India's Prime Minister Modi, outlining areas of cooperation. Among the details was a commitment to co-develop undersea technologies as part of a defense partnership, along with a mention of Meta's 50,000-kilometer Waterworth project and India's involvement in its financing.

“Driven by India’s growing demand for digital services, this investment reaffirms Meta’s commitment to economic growth, resilient infrastructure, and digital inclusion,” the Meta spokesperson said.  

“India intends to invest in maintenance, repair and financing of undersea cables in the Indian Ocean, using trusted vendors.” the statement added.

The network will connect five continents, with landing points in the United States, Brazil, India, South Africa, and other important regions. Meta emphasizes the opportunities in India and the role the network will play in expanding its AI services globally as key reasons for building the infrastructure.

Meta plans to break new ground with the network's architecture, using 24 fiber pair cables and innovative routing techniques. The project will maximize cable deployment in deep waters, reaching depths of up to 7,000 meters, and employ new burial methods to minimize faults in high-risk areas, whether due to geographical challenges or political factors.