Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: US tech giant Meta has announced the launch of its largest capacity subsea cable in the Asia-Pacific (Apac) region, called Candle, in 2028.
Candle will span approximately 8,000 kilometres, bringing increased connectivity to Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, the company said in a statement.
The project will offer a capacity of around 570 terabits per second (Tbps), serving over 580 million people, according to the company. Meta announced that Candle will use 24 fibre-pair technology to deliver bandwidth similar to its largest capacity cable, namely Anjana. The new cable will be developed in collaboration with regional telecom partners, the company noted.
The company also shared updates to several existing subsea projects, including the completion of the Bifrost cable system.
The Apac region is home to over 58 per cent of the world’s internet users – many who rely on robust global infrastructure for online connectivity and access to innovative tech such as AI.
The company reported recent advancements on the Bifrost, Echo, and Apricot cables. Bifrost now connects Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the United States, with Mexico expected to be added in 2026. Bifrost will chart a different path from prior transpacific cables to add over 260 Tbps of redundancy to this popular digital route.
Echo now delivers 260 Tbps of capacity between Guam and California, with options for onward connectivity into Asia in the future.
With future extensions to the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore, Meta’s Apricot system has a 12,000-kilometre span that will complement the Bifrost and Echo systems with 290 Tbps of capacity.
Meanwhile, Meta is reportedly hiring contractors in the United States at rates of up to $55 (around Rs 4,850) per hour to develop Hindi-language AI chatbots designed for Indian users.
Announcing the new cable system, Meta said “we imagine a future where everyone has access to AI, personal superintelligence, and other emerging technologies to improve their lives and connect with each other. As such, we continue to build world-class network infrastructure with enough capacity and resilience to enable rich online experiences for people all over the world. Earlier this year, for example, we announced Project Waterworth, our most ambitious subsea cable project yet, which will land in five continents, including Asia, by the end of the decade.”
Together, Candle, Echo, Bifrost, and Apricot will enable the Asia-Pacific region with intra-Asia connectivity and transpacific bridges to the Americas. Additionally, our investments in projects such as 2Africa, will chart a path to India, the Middle East, and Europe, while Project Waterworth will enable global connectivity.