Meta is reportedly developing a global undersea fibre optic cable network, estimated to cost $10bn, to enhance its internet infrastructure, TechCrunch reported.

The cable network of Meta is expected to span 24,000 miles.

Meta’s extensive social networks are said to account for 10% of fixed and 22% of mobile traffic, the news publication noted.

The undersea cable network will be solely owned and utilised by Meta.

Subsea cable expert Sunil Tagare initially reported Meta’s plans in October, indicating a starting budget of $2bn, which may exceed $10bn over the project’s duration.

Sources suggest the project is in its early stages, with Meta expected to provide more details next year.

Traditionally built by telecom companies and government-backed entities, the construction of undersea cables is increasingly dominated by tech giants.

Google owns or co-owns around 33 subsea cables, Meta has over a dozen, Microsoft five, and Amazon four.

In the past decade, tech giants’ share of international cable capacity has surged from 10% to 71%, as reported by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

Meta is set to face a trial in 2025, following allegations by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that it acquired Instagram and WhatsApp to stifle emerging competition.

The trial, scheduled to begin on 14 April 2025, was confirmed by the US District Court for the District of Columbia Chief Judge James Boasberg.

The FTC initially sued the company in 2020, accusing them of illegally maintaining a monopoly on personal social networks.