Facebook has invested in a 6,214-mile Asian undersea cable that will give better Internet connectivity to several countries, the BBC reports.
The investment could potentially help Facebook draw more users in South Asia, especially in places like Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore. Facebook has more than 900 million monthly active users, but if it wants to continue to grow, it needs many countries to get better Internet access.
The BBC says the Asia Pacific Gateway cable will run directly from Malaysia to South Korea and Japan, with links that branch off to other countries like China and Vietnam. The entire cable project will cost a consortium of companies including Facebook at least $450 million. Facebookâs exact share of that amount has not been revealed.
AI Weekly
The must-read newsletter for AI and Big Data industry written by Khari Johnson, Kyle Wiggers, and Seth Colaner.
Included with VentureBeat Insider and VentureBeat VIP memberships.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, the Asia Pacific Gateway is expected to be finished in the third quarter of 2014.
Underwater cable art: k3nnykid/DeviantArt
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Learn More