Science & Tech 22 September 2026
Meta to Build World's First Undersea Cable 'Petale' with 1 Petabit Capacity
Why in the News?
Tech giant Meta has announced plans to build 'Petale', the world's first submarine cable capable of transferring data at a speed of 1 Petabit per second.
Key Features / Major Points:
Unprecedented Capacity: The cable will have a capacity of 1 Petabit, or 1,000 Terabits per second (Tbps). This speed is powerful enough to allow 75% of the world's population to stream music simultaneously.
Length & Route: Spanning 7,000 kilometers, the undersea cable will connect the United States and France.
Expected Launch: The project is expected to become operational by the year 2029.
Static GK Facts:
Meta: Parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram (Founded: 2004, CEO: Mark Zuckerberg).
Submarine Cable: Fiber optic cables laid on the ocean floor to transmit telecommunication and internet data between countries and continents.
1 Petabit: 1 Petabit = 1,000 Terabits (Tbps) = 1,000,000 Gigabits (Gbps).
One-Liner Quiz (All Competitive Exams):
Q: What is the name of the world's first 1-Petabit capacity undersea cable announced by Meta?
A: Petale
Q: Which two countries will Meta's 'Petale' undersea cable connect?
A: United States and France
Q: What is the total length of the 'Petale' submarine cable?
A: 7,000 kilometers