Undersea Cable Project by Meta
A new undersea cable initiative by social media giant Meta is set to create a 50,000 km connection spanning five continents, linking India to the United States (US).
Investment and Construction
- Meta will invest multi-billion dollars over several years.
- Construction is scheduled to start this year, as stated in a joint statement by India and the US.
India's Role in Undersea Cables
- India plans to invest in the maintenance, repair, and financing of undersea cables in the Indian Ocean.
- The initiative will involve trusted vendors for its operations.
Existing and New Undersea Cable Systems in India
- India currently hosts around 17 international subsea cables with landing stations across 17 districts.
- The total lit capacity of these cables is 180 terabits per second (TBPS), with active capacity at 132 TBPS.
- The addition of Meta's project will be the 18th undersea cable with a landing station in India.
New Cable Systems by Reliance Jio
- Two new systems, the India Asia Xpress (IAX) and India Europe Xpress (IEX), are expected to be operational by the end of 2025.
- IAX will connect Chennai and Mumbai to Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia.
- IEX will link France, Greece, and Saudi Arabia to countries in West Asia and East Africa.
