Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is set to invest over $10 billion in a massive subsea cable project that will span over 40,000 kilometers around the world. According to sources close to the company, the project aims to provide a dedicated pipe for data traffic, supporting Meta's growing internet presence and artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions.

The subsea cable, which will be solely owned and operated by Meta, will connect the east coast of the United States to India via South Africa, and then to the west coast of the United States from India via Australia, forming a "W" shape around the globe. This route is designed to avoid areas of geopolitical tension, such as the Red Sea, the South China Sea, and Egypt, which have been prone to cable damage and disruptions in the past.

Meta's investment in this project marks a significant milestone in its infrastructure efforts, as the company seeks to ensure reliable and efficient data traffic for its billions of users. The project is expected to take several years to complete, with sources indicating that it is still in its early stages. While the exact budget for the project is unclear, experts estimate that it could exceed $10 billion, making it one of the largest infrastructure investments in the company's history.

The move is seen as a strategic play by Meta to gain greater control over its internet infrastructure, reducing its reliance on traditional telecom carriers and consortiums. This trend is not unique to Meta, as other big tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have also been investing in subsea cables to support their growing online presence.

One of the primary drivers behind Meta's investment in this project is its growing AI ambitions. The company has been investing heavily in AI research and development, and a dedicated subsea cable will provide the necessary infrastructure to support the massive amounts of data required for AI model training and deployment. India, a key market for Meta with over 375 million Facebook users, 363 million Instagram users, and 536 million WhatsApp users, is expected to play a significant role in the company's AI strategy, with rumors suggesting that Meta may be planning to build AI training infrastructure in the country.

Industry experts believe that Meta's investment in this subsea cable project will have far-reaching implications for the internet infrastructure landscape. "This move marks a significant shift in the ownership and control of subsea cables, with big tech companies like Meta taking a more proactive role in building and owning their own infrastructure," said Ranulf Scarborough, a submarine cable industry analyst.

While Meta declined to comment on the project, sources close to the company indicate that it plans to make a public announcement about the project in early 2025, providing more details on the route, capacity, and reasoning behind the investment. As the project progresses, it will be interesting to see how Meta's investment in this subsea cable project shapes the future of internet infrastructure and AI development.