{"version":1,"type":"story","url":"https://digestai.news/story/meta-unveils-petal-subsea-cable-delivering-1-petabit-per-second","json":"https://digestai.news/story/meta-unveils-petal-subsea-cable-delivering-1-petabit-per-second.json","markdown":"https://digestai.news/story/meta-unveils-petal-subsea-cable-delivering-1-petabit-per-second.md","slug":"meta-unveils-petal-subsea-cable-delivering-1-petabit-per-second","headline":"Meta unveils Petal subsea cable delivering 1 petabit per second","summary":"Meta announced Petal, a transatlantic subsea cable that will move 1 petabit per second (1,000 terabits per second) across roughly 7,000 km between France and the United States. The system, built with 2‑core fiber in a 24‑pair (48‑fiber‑pair) architecture and ultra‑pure synthetic silica, is designed to stay within existing 18 kV power‑feeding limits, avoiding new power‑equipment costs. Meta says the cable will double the capacity of today’s most advanced transoceanic links while using less added power, and it could support about 75 % of the world’s population streaming music at the same time. Petal is slated to enter service in 2029 and will be used primarily for Meta’s own AI inference and training traffic between its U.S. and European data centers.\n\nShares were up 5.14% over the past week but showed no immediate reaction to the announcement. CFO Susan Li told analysts that the industry has under‑built for AI demand, making the new capacity valuable. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said there is “nowhere near enough compute for all the demand,” positioning Petal as a long‑term infrastructure foundation. Meta’s FY2026 capital‑expenditure guidance is $130‑$145 billion, with debt at $83.66 billion to fund the build.","keyPoints":["Petal will transmit 1 petabit per second across ~7,000 km between France and the United States, slated for 2029.","The cable uses 2‑core fiber in a 24‑pair system, staying within existing 18 kV power limits.","Meta expects the pipe to support about 75 % of the world’s population streaming music simultaneously."],"whyItMatters":"The petabit‑scale link gives Meta dedicated, low‑power bandwidth for its AI workloads, reducing reliance on third‑party networks and supporting future compute growth.","category":{"slug":"enterprise","name":"Enterprise & Industry","url":"https://digestai.news/category/enterprise"},"entities":{"companies":["Meta"],"models":[],"people":["Susan Li","Mark Zuckerberg"]},"firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-21T13:03:00Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-21T13:03:00Z","sourceCount":1,"hasPrimarySource":false,"sources":[{"outlet":"247wallst.com","title":"Meta Just Unveiled Massive 1 Petabit-Scale Subsea AI Superhighway","url":"https://247wallst.com/investing/2026/09/21/meta-just-unveiled-massive-1-petabit-scale-subsea-ai-superhighway","publishedAt":"2026-09-21T13:03:00Z","type":"press","primary":false,"lead":true}],"sourceNotes":null,"discussions":[],"thread":null,"cite":{"text":"Digest AI, \"Meta unveils Petal subsea cable delivering 1 petabit per second\", 21 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/meta-unveils-petal-subsea-cable-delivering-1-petabit-per-second","publisher":"Digest AI","title":"Meta unveils Petal subsea cable delivering 1 petabit per second","datePublished":"2026-09-21T13:03:00Z","url":"https://digestai.news/story/meta-unveils-petal-subsea-cable-delivering-1-petabit-per-second"},"generatedBy":"Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record.","license":"Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse"}