Meta to Deploy 50,000 km Undersea Cable Connecting Five Continents.

Meta has announced plans to build a 50,000 km undersea cable system connecting India and the United States, spanning five continents. The project will be a "multi-billion, multi-year investment" and is set to begin this year, according to a joint statement from India and the U.S.

India will also invest in the maintenance, repair, and financing of undersea cables in the Indian Ocean using trusted vendors, the statement added.

Once completed, Meta’s undersea cable will become the 18th subsea cable with a landing station in India. Currently, the country hosts 17 international subsea cables across 17 district landing stations, with a total lit capacity of 180 terabits per second (TBPS) and an active capacity of 132 TBPS, as per the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

In addition to Meta’s initiative, India is set to gain two new subsea cable systems—India Asia Xpress (IAX) and India Europe Xpress (IEX), owned by Reliance Jio. Spanning over 15,000 km, these systems are expected to go live by the end of 2025. The IAX cable system will link major landing stations in Chennai and Mumbai to Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia.

BS