Meta

Contributing to Asia-Pacific and European Economies Through Expanded Internet Access

By Robert Pepper, Head, Global Connectivity Policy and Planning
  • We’re sharing results from the economic impact reports by Analysys Mason and RTI International on the estimated effects of our subsea cable investments in Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Europe.
  • Our numerous subsea cable systems in Europe and APAC are estimated to contribute more than half a trillion USD in additional GDP by 2025.
  • In APAC alone, these efforts are expected to create up to 3.7 million new jobs.

Our investments in subsea fiber-optic cables expand broadband capacity for people and businesses in developed and emerging markets around the world. They connect our global society, enable the exchange of goods and foster connections between people across continents. 

At Meta, we’ve invested in several subsea cables in APAC and Europe and commissioned two new studies by Analysys Mason (APAC) and RTI International (Europe) to understand the impact of these projects. These studies demonstrate that our investments help make subsea cables economically viable for local providers, enhancing broadband capacity for both developed and emerging markets. Our numerous subsea cable systems in Europe and APAC are estimated to contribute more than half a trillion USD  in additional GDP by 2025.

In Europe, we invested in Marea, one of the highest capacity transoceanic cables in the world. According to RTI International, our investment in Marea has been contributing about $18 billion each year to Europe’s economy since 2019.

Graphic that reads: "Our investment in Marea has contributed ~$18 billion each year to Europe's economy since 2019

In APAC, according to Analysys Mason, our investments are expected to add approximately $422 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) between 2021 and 2025. These efforts are also expected to create up to 3.7 million new jobs in APAC alone. 

How economic impact is expected to increase in APAC by 2025.

Some highlights from the reports include:

  • In Indonesia, our subsea investments are expected to expand GDP by $59 billion cumulatively between 2023 and 2025 and help create up to 1.8 million jobs by 2025.
  • The Philippines stands to gain $34 billion in additional GDP cumulatively from 2021 to 2025 and 380,000 new jobs by 2025.
  • In Ireland, our cables are estimated to contribute $2.78 billion to the Irish economy each year, beginning in 2025.

Read the full economic impact reports from Analysys Mason and RTI International.

Our projects in APAC and Europe are part of our overall investment in subsea infrastructure worldwide. Over the last decade, we’ve invested billions in partnerships to improve connectivity around the world. With these open, collaborative efforts, we’ve seen firsthand how industry-wide collaboration can help bring the world online to a faster internet. 

Learn more about our subsea cable projects in APAC and Europe.



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