Regulatory and geopolitical issues hamper Meta and Google's undersea cable projects

Yevgeny Demkivskyi - 18 November, 13:15

Meta and Google have faced delays in implementing large undersea cable systems, with the companies citing a combination of operational difficulties, regulatory requirements and geopolitical risks, Bloomberg reports.

Meta's 2Africa system is intended to encircle Africa and connect the continent with Europe and Asia. Problems arose during the laying of the cable across the southern Red Sea. Due to regional conflicts and difficulties in obtaining permits, one of the key segments has not yet been built.

The Blue-Raman system, which is backed by Google, is also on hold. The project started in 2021 and was supposed to be operational in 2024, providing connectivity between France, Italy, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and India. The company has not yet announced a new launch date.

Other cable projects in the Red Sea are also on hold. Construction has been halted repeatedly due to missile attacks attributed to the Houthi group and the need to change routes. According to Telegeography, operators are forced to buy traffic on alternative networks because they cannot use their own investments.

Meanwhile, Meta and Google say the problems will not affect other already announced undersea systems. Google is continuing to build a cable between Togo and Europe across the Atlantic, while Meta is working on a global cable route that would connect five continents and bypass the Red Sea.