Meta Partners with NEC and Sumitomo to Build Petal, the World’s Highest-Capacity Undersea Cable Connecting the US and France

In a significant move to bolster the backbone of the global internet, Meta has announced plans to construct a massive new subsea fiber-optic cable named Petal. This ambitious infrastructure project, spanning approximately 7,000 kilometers (4,350 miles), is designed to bridge the gap between the United States and France, providing a high-speed data artery across the Atlantic Ocean. To bring this project to fruition, Meta is collaborating with industry giants NEC and Sumitomo Electric Industries, while also engaging with the French telecommunications powerhouse Orange to manage the complex logistics of landing the cable on the shores of France.

The Petal project represents a generational leap in subsea connectivity technology. According to the project specifications, Petal will boast more than double the capacity of any other undersea cable currently in operation or in the planning stages. This leap in throughput is particularly striking when compared to other state-of-the-art projects recently announced by major technology firms. For instance, in November of last year, Amazon Web Services (AWS) unveiled plans for a 320 terabit per second (Tbit/s) cable connecting the US and Ireland. Similarly, a high-capacity cable linking Australia and the US, announced in January of this year, is expected to deliver 400 terabits per second. By promising to more than double these benchmarks, Petal is set to become the most formidable piece of digital infrastructure on the planet.

The development of Petal comes at a time when the global appetite for data is growing at an exponential rate. The rise of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, high-definition video streaming, and the expansion of the "metaverse" have placed unprecedented strain on existing transoceanic links. For Meta, owning and operating its own subsea infrastructure is no longer just an advantage—it is a necessity. By securing its own dedicated high-capacity routes, the company can ensure lower latency and higher reliability for its suite of applications, which serve billions of users worldwide.

Petal will have twice the capacity of any other undersea cable yet built or planned.

The technical prowess required to achieve such a massive increase in capacity is substantial. The partnership with NEC and Sumitomo Electric Industries is central to this effort. NEC has a long-standing reputation as a leader in the subsea cable industry, providing the specialized equipment and engineering expertise required to lay thousands of miles of fiber-optic lines across the rugged and often unpredictable terrain of the ocean floor. Sumitomo Electric Industries, meanwhile, brings its advanced fiber-optic technology to the table, ensuring that the physical medium of the cable can handle the immense data loads that Petal is designed to carry.

The involvement of Orange is equally critical. Landing a subsea cable is a complex legal, environmental, and technical feat. As the leading telecommunications operator in France, Orange provides the local expertise and infrastructure necessary to bring the cable from the Atlantic depths onto the French coast and integrate it into the broader European terrestrial network. This coordination ensures that the data traveling through Petal can be distributed efficiently throughout the continent, benefiting not only Meta but the wider digital economy.

However, the rapid expansion of these underwater data highways has not gone unnoticed by government officials. While the need for greater connectivity is indisputable, the sheer scale and importance of these cables have made them a focal point for national security discussions. In the United States, lawmakers have become increasingly "twitchy" regarding the security implications of subsea infrastructure. Because these cables carry the vast majority of international data traffic—including sensitive financial, government, and personal communications—they are viewed as critical national infrastructure that must be protected from both physical and digital threats.

The concerns among US lawmakers are rooted in the fear that these cables could be targeted for espionage or sabotage. There have been growing calls for major service providers and technology companies to provide comprehensive details regarding their subsea assets. Legislators are seeking greater transparency regarding the locations of these cables, the companies involved in their maintenance, and the security protocols in place to prevent unauthorized access to the data they carry. This push for oversight reflects a broader shift in how subsea cables are perceived: they are no longer seen merely as private commercial ventures, but as vital arteries of national and international security.

These security concerns are not merely theoretical. Industry experts have pointed to a growing number of incidents involving subsea cables that warrant high-level attention. These incidents range from accidental damage caused by fishing trawlers and ship anchors to more sinister possibilities, such as intentional tampering or state-sponsored interference. In an era of heightened geopolitical tensions, the vulnerability of the global subsea network has become a primary concern for defense and intelligence agencies. Protecting this infrastructure involves a multi-layered approach, including physical monitoring of the seabed, advanced encryption for the data being transmitted, and strict vetting of the companies and personnel involved in the construction and operation of the cables.

The Petal project also highlights a significant shift in the subsea cable industry: the transition from traditional telecommunications consortiums to projects led by "hyperscalers" like Meta, Google, and Amazon. In decades past, subsea cables were typically built and owned by groups of national telecom carriers. Today, the world’s largest technology companies are increasingly taking the lead, often building private cables to connect their own massive data centers across different continents. This shift has changed the dynamics of the industry, leading to faster deployment times and a push for ever-higher capacities, but it has also raised questions about the concentration of critical infrastructure in the hands of a few private corporations.

Despite the regulatory and security challenges, the momentum behind projects like Petal shows no signs of slowing. The economic value of high-speed transoceanic connectivity is too great to ignore. For France and the United States, Petal represents a strengthening of the digital bridge between two of the world’s major economies. It promises to facilitate smoother trade, foster innovation in emerging technologies, and provide the bandwidth necessary for the next generation of digital services.

As Meta, NEC, Sumitomo, and Orange move forward with the construction of Petal, the project will be closely watched by industry analysts and government officials alike. The success of the cable will be measured not only by its record-breaking data capacity but also by its ability to navigate the complex geopolitical landscape that now surrounds the world’s subsea networks. The 7,000-kilometer journey of Petal is more than just a feat of engineering; it is a testament to the central role that data connectivity plays in the modern world and the ongoing effort to ensure that this global nervous system remains fast, reliable, and secure.

The deployment of Petal is expected to involve a sophisticated fleet of cable-laying ships, which will traverse the Atlantic to meticulously place the cable on the seabed. These vessels are equipped with specialized plows to bury the cable in shallower waters, protecting it from maritime activity, while in the deep ocean, the cable will rest on the abyssal plain. Throughout its 4,350-mile length, the cable will feature optical repeaters at regular intervals to boost the signal, ensuring that data can travel the vast distance without degradation.

While the technical specifications are impressive, the narrative surrounding Petal is increasingly defined by the tension between technological progress and national sovereignty. As lawmakers continue to question the safeguards surrounding these cables, the industry is likely to face new regulations and reporting requirements. For now, Meta’s Petal stands as a symbol of the relentless drive for more bandwidth, a project that aims to double the current standard for speed and capacity while navigating the deep waters of international diplomacy and security.