In order to realize Mark Zuckerberg’s broader vision for AI “superintelligence,” people will also need to be able to access the internet at increasingly higher speeds and capacities, in order to make this a functional, viable option for connectivity.
And on that front, Meta has announced a new subsea cabling project, this time focused on the Asia Pacific region, and linking users into higher capacity connection that will facilitate access.
Meta’s latest major subsea cable project is called “Candle,” and will connect the many islands of the APAC region.
As explained by Meta:
“Candle will be the largest capacity cable in APAC, bringing increased connectivity to Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, in 2028. Spanning 8,000 kilometers, Candle will connect over 580 million people with 570 terabits per second (Tbps) of capacity.”
Created in partnership with local telco providers, Candle will utilize 24 fiber-pair cable technology to deliver higher bandwidth and connectivity capacity in these regions.
As you can see in the above graphic, this is just one of several major subsea cable projects that Meta has invested in over the last few years.
Meta’s biggest project on this front is “Project Waterworth,” which will eventually connect five major continents, and span over 50,000 km, making it the world’s longest subsea cable project.
Meta’s also invested in the development of the “Bifrost” and “Echo” cabling projects, which have increased transpacific network capacity by 70%, while its “Apricot” project now also links Japan, Taiwan, and Guam, and will soon also link into the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore.
In combination, these projects will play a significant role in enhancing global connectivity, and giving more and more people access to the latest technological opportunities, which includes the development of AI, and the efficiencies that AI tools can bring.
Which, again, is part of Meta’s broader vision, in bringing personal superintelligence to everyone.
The challenge here is that it will take a lot of technical resources, a lot of energy, and major increases in connective capacity to facilitate.
Each of these projects contributes to the greater whole in this respect, and Meta is playing a critical role in building global connections, that will facilitate the next stage.
Of course, that also gives Meta more power, though it is worth noting that all of these subsea cable projects are joint initiatives with related governments and authorities.
But even so, Meta is becoming a much bigger player, on a global scale. And if Zuckerberg’s bet on AI pays off, it may well become the most influential company on the planet.
