Meta, the company behind those ‘essential’ social networks Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is reportedly considering a massive new internet cable. The idea is to sidestep issues caused by relying on existing infrastructure, which is sometimes laid in volatile areas.
The vast majority of Meta’s business rests on the back of internet access so it’s not surprising that it’s considering taking this step. Lost internet access is lost revenue for companies like Meta, no matter what various marketing departments would have you believe about their motives. The main question is: can the company pull it off?
Meta-phorically speaking
First spotted by one Sunil Tagare and later confirmed by TechCrunch, the world-spanning cable would connect various countries for the benefit of Mark Zuckerberg’s corporate monolith. The project would span more than 40,000 kilometres, initially connecting America’s East Coast to India, according to Tagare.
On its way to India, it will stop over in South Africa. From the subcontinent, Meta’s cable will venture to Darwin, Australia, before connecting to the American continent’s West Coast. The cable, known as ‘W’ for the shape it will eventually form, sidesteps the North African region, which sees frequent geopolitical issues.
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If the project, which the company has yet to officially confirm, isn’t known internally as Project Jörmungandr, someone at the company needs a serious demotion. Sources speaking to TechCrunch reckon that plans have been made, but there has been no allocation of resources yet.
Part of this might be a scarcity of cable ships, an essential component to laying an undersea cable. These are mostly fully occupied pulling wires for the likes of Google and others with loads of money. Meta qualifies but they may be waiting for a slot to open up before committing money to the project.