Facebook, Microsoft join hands to build undersea internet cable

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Technology giant Microsoft along with social networking site Facebook have decided to come together to build a high-speed internet cable across the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

In order to meet growing demand by tech companies, customers for swift and reliable data connections, a new, sub-sea "MAREA" cable was expected to be completed by late 2017

"As the world is increasingly moving toward a future based on cloud computing, Microsoft continues to invest in our cloud infrastructure to meet current and future growing global demand for our more than 200 cloud services, " Microsoft data center strategy general manager Christian Belady said in a release.

MAREA will be the highest-capacity sub-sea cable ever crossing the Atlantic, with an expected capacity of some 160 terabytes per second of data, according to the companies.

The 6,600 kilometer cable system will also be the first connecting the United States and southern Europe, running from Northern Virginia to Bilbao, Spain, Microsoft and Facebook said.

From Spain, the data network will link to hubs in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and other parts of Europe, according to the companies.

Microsoft and Facebook said that they are working with global communications company Telxius, owned by Telefonica, on the cable project.

(With AFP inputs)