“Rising Involvement of Private Tech Companies in Undersea Cable Ownership and Operations”
- The increasing involvement of private technology companies in owning and operating undersea cable systems is a key trend in the market. These companies are seeking more control over their data traffic and enhancing global connectivity for their services
- For instance, Google launched the Dunant cable, which connects the U.S. and France, offering a capacity of 250 terabits per second. This cable supports Google’s cloud services and data platforms, such as YouTube and Google Cloud
- Another significant trend is the rise of large-scale subsea cable projects aimed at improving internet access and global data transmission
- For instance, Meta is constructing the 2Africa cable, expected to be one of the largest subsea cable systems globally. This system will connect 33 countries across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, greatly improving internet access and supporting Meta’s data traffic needs for services such as Facebook and Instagram
- Collaboration among tech companies to fund and build subsea cables has become more prevalent. A notable instance is the MAREA cable, funded by Microsoft and Meta, which connects the U.S. and Spain. This high-capacity cable is crucial for providing low-latency routes for cloud services such as Microsoft Azure and Facebook’s global operations
- Increased demand for cloud services and digital infrastructure is driving tech companies to secure their own subsea cable infrastructure. Amazon Web Services (AWS) has secured fiber pairs on the MAREA cable, ensuring robust support for its cloud services. AWS is also exploring additional subsea cable systems to meet growing demand and enhance data transmission across regions
