Middle East Conflict Disrupts World's Longest Internet Cable Project

Meta, the technology company that owns WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Threads, has reportedly delayed portions of work on the 2Africa submarine cable project.

The delay has occurred due to escalating tensions resulting from the conflict between Iran and the United States in the Middle East region. Bloomberg first reported this information.

The 2Africa project is the world’s longest submarine internet cable system, spanning more than 45,000 kilometres.

This submarine cable network project is led by Meta in partnership with a consortium of global telecommunications companies.

The 2Africa network connects 33 countries across Africa, Europe, and Asia, and is designed to increase internet capacity for more than 3 billion people.

The cable system has a capacity of up to 180 terabits per second (Tbps) through 16 pairs of optical fibres.

To put this in perspective, a capacity of 180 Tbps is extraordinarily large. As a reference point, 180 Tbps would be sufficient to stream more than 36 million HD films simultaneously if a single film requires approximately 5 megabits per second.

For individual users, this capacity would theoretically allow someone to download approximately 15,000 full-length films in a single second.

According to Meta’s official website, the core cable system of 2Africa was actually announced as complete at the end of 2025.

However, several follow-up works and project-related activities in the Middle East region are now affected by the ongoing conflict.

Submarine cables form the backbone of the world’s internet network as they carry the majority of international data traffic.

Many of these cables pass through narrow strategic routes, such as the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, two areas that currently lie within conflict zones.