Meta Will Launch Petal Subsea Cable by 2029
The 4,300-mile transoceanic connection between the U.S. and France will deploy multi-core fiber to increase bandwidth.
Updated on Sept. 21, 2026 in Data Centers
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Meta has announced plans for the Petal subsea cable, a 4,300-mile infrastructure project scheduled to come online in 2029. The system is designed to provide 1 petabit per second of data capacity between the United States and France.
Why it matters
The deployment of multi-core fiber technology marks a significant expansion in transoceanic data throughput, addressing the growing demand for intercontinental bandwidth. This infrastructure build aims to support the increasing traffic requirements of large-scale digital platforms.
The Petal system features a 4,300-mile span utilizing multi-core fiber—a cabling architecture that packs multiple signal paths into a single strand—to achieve its 1 petabit per second capacity.
The players
Meta
A global technology company focused on social media, virtual reality hardware, and the development of large-scale distributed computing infrastructure.
The details
Multi-core fiber technology transmits data across multiple spatial channels within a single optical strand, significantly increasing the information density compared to standard single-core cables. By utilizing this architecture, the Petal system facilitates higher total throughput over transoceanic distances. The cable will establish a direct physical link between North American and European data networks to minimize latency and optimize routing.
Timeline
The Petal cable is expected to come online in 2029.
The Tech Race
The Petal system represents a leap in subsea capacity, moving beyond the current standard of multi-terabit cables to reach petabit-scale throughput. This development follows a pattern of increasing infrastructure density set by previous transoceanic cable initiatives.
The increased bandwidth is expected to support global internet traffic, including high-capacity services like music streaming for the majority of the world population. Users will not interact with the cable directly, but the project aims to improve overall network reliability and speed for international data transfers.
The takeaway
The Petal project reflects the industry's shift toward high-density fiber to accommodate long-term growth in internet traffic. Investors and network engineers should monitor the 2029 operational launch for shifts in global transoceanic bandwidth pricing.
Further reading
For broader insights on how physical infrastructure supports digital traffic, visit Data Centers.
More information
View the complete details of the project in the Meta newsroom announcement.
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Do you believe large-scale investments in subsea internet infrastructure will improve digital life in your nation?
