Meta is increasing its investment in subsea cable networks across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region to strengthen global connectivity and support rising demand for digital services. APAC accounts for more than 58% of the world’s internet users, many of whom depend on resilient infrastructure to stay connected and access emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
To meet that demand, Meta has committed to several major undersea cable projects. Earlier this year the company unveiled Project Waterworth, its most ambitious subsea system to date, planned to span five continents and complete by the end of the decade. In addition to Waterworth, Meta has provided updates on four other projects aimed at expanding internet capacity and improving reach across APAC.
Meta’s Candle subsea cable set to boost Asia’s connectivity
Candle is one of the flagship initiatives, set to become the highest-capacity subsea cable in APAC when it goes live in 2028. The roughly 8,000-kilometre system will connect Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Engineered for 570 terabits per second (Tbps) of capacity, Candle is designed to serve more than 580 million people throughout the region.
Built in partnership with regional telecom operators, Candle uses 24-fibre-pair technology—also employed in Meta’s current highest-capacity system, Anjana—so it can handle growing traffic and support data-intensive services, including AI-driven applications and large-scale cloud services.
Expanding transpacific links
Meta’s Bifrost and Echo cables are intended to increase capacity between Asia and the United States by roughly 70%. They follow different Pacific routes to add redundancy and lower the risk of outages across one of the world’s busiest digital corridors.
Bifrost is already operational, linking Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the US, with a planned extension to Mexico in 2026. That route contributes more than 260 Tbps of additional capacity, helping meet surging traffic between Asia and the Americas.
Echo currently connects Guam and California and also provides approximately 260 Tbps of capacity. It was designed with the flexibility to add deeper Asian connections in the future, giving network operators more routing options and resilience.
Apricot strengthens regional links
Apricot is a 12,000-kilometre subsea system that currently connects Japan, Taiwan, and Guam, with planned extensions to the Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore. With about 290 Tbps of planned capacity, Apricot complements Bifrost and Echo by expanding regional connectivity and improving routes across the Pacific.
Together, Candle, Echo, Bifrost, and Apricot form a stronger backbone for digital communications across APAC. They enhance intercountry links within Asia and provide additional transpacific bridges to the Americas, improving redundancy and capacity for both consumer and enterprise traffic.
These projects fit into a broader network strategy. Other investments, such as the 2Africa system, aim to strengthen connections to India, the Middle East, and Europe, while Project Waterworth is expected to shape new global traffic patterns as internet usage continues to grow worldwide.
Meta’s cable investments aim to widen access across APAC
Expanding subsea cable capacity does more than increase speeds. For many communities, these networks are critical links to information, services, education, and economic opportunity. Better infrastructure helps deliver AI tools, online platforms, cloud services, and digital commerce to more people, supporting both individual users and businesses.
By collaborating with regional telecom partners, Meta is scaling the reach and reliability of its global network. These investments are intended to ensure that users across APAC can access services quickly and reliably, regardless of location.
(Photo credit: Denny Müller)
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