Meta is racing to control the underwater infrastructure powering artificial intelligence globally. The company announced Petal, a groundbreaking subsea cable project connecting the United States and France across approximately 7,000 kilometers, or 4,300 miles.
This deployment marks the first petabit-class transoceanic cable ever deployed, doubling the capacity of today’s most advanced transoceanic systems. Meta developed Petal through partnerships with NEC Corporation and Sumitomo Electric Industries, reflecting a coordinated effort to push submarine cable technology forward.
As announced by the company:
We’re announcing Petal, the first subsea cable with petabit capacity to be deployed across an ocean. Petal will connect the US and France, spanning 7,000 km (over 4,300 miles) and doubling the capacity of today’s most advanced transoceanic cables. This deployment marks the single largest generational increase in capacity of any transoceanic subsea cable system, ever.
The significance of this achievement cannot be overstated. Petabit capacity represents a major technological milestone in global telecommunications history. Sumitomo Electric Industries developed the specialized 2-core fiber with ultra-low losses used in Petal. This engineered fiber delivers optical performance practically identical to single-core fiber while eliminating measurable crosstalk between counterpropagating signals. The technical breakthrough reduces signal interference and maximizes data transmission reliability across the transatlantic route.
Importantly, undersea cables carry over 99% of all international data exchanges. Video calls, stock transactions, conference calls, military operations, and everyday internet browsing depend entirely on these garden hose-sized systems resting on the ocean floor. Cables lie at depths reaching 7,000 meters, buried under the seabed near shorelines for protection against ship anchors and fishing equipment. Yet their hidden importance remains fundamental to global connectivity.
Meanwhile, Meta’s vision extends far beyond a single cable. The company announced Project Waterworth in February 2025, committing to build a 50,000-kilometer global subsea cable connecting five continents. Waterworth will link the United States, India, Brazil, South Africa, and other strategic regions. This multi-billion-dollar, multi-year investment aims to open three new oceanic corridors with abundant high-speed connectivity. The project will use a 24 fibre-pair system, providing higher capacity than previous systems.
Critically, these cables directly support Meta’s artificial intelligence expansion. Data centers training and maintaining AI systems require unprecedented data transmission volumes. Real-time AI interactions on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other platforms demand reliable, high-capacity connectivity globally. By owning subsea infrastructure, Meta avoids depending on external cable operators for data transmission. This independence strengthens reliability and gives Meta control over deployment timing and maintenance schedules.
The White House acknowledged Waterworth’s strategic importance. In February 2025, President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Modi issued a joint leaders’ statement committing to co-develop undersea technologies as a defense partnership.
India pledged to invest in maintenance, repair, and financing of undersea cables in the Indian Ocean using trusted vendors. This geopolitical dimension reveals how submarine cables now intersect with national security and global technology competition.
Meta’s previous cable projects demonstrate sustained commitment to submarine infrastructure. The Anjana cable spans 7,121 kilometers between Santander in northern Spain and South Carolina in the United States. Additionally, the 2Africa cable, supported by Meta and mobile operators including Orange, Vodafone, and China Mobile, links three continents across 45,000 kilometers. These investments position Meta as a major player in global telecommunications infrastructure rather than merely a social media company.
Competitors are taking notice. Google announced a subsea cable connecting Africa and Australia, plus two additional Pacific Ocean cables with $1 billion invested to boost connectivity to Japan. Tech companies recognize that controlling data highways increasingly matters for competitive advantage.
As artificial intelligence demands grow exponentially, the companies owning the infrastructure supporting AI development gain strategic leverage.
The Petal announcement reveals Meta’s broader infrastructure strategy during a period when public attention fixates on AI features like the Muse app. While investors debate Muse’s competitive positioning against Slack and Microsoft Teams, Meta quietly builds the foundation supporting AI globally. This long-term infrastructure investment reflects confidence that AI will drive connectivity demand for decades ahead.
