Meta Platforms announced a new subsea cable called Petal, which the company claims will be the first subsea cable to deliver petabit-level capacity across an ocean, connecting the United States and France over approximately 7,000 kilometers.

According to a statement from Meta, Petal is expected to enter service in 2029 and will carry 1 petabit per second of data capacity, which the company says is double that of current advanced transoceanic cables. Meta describes it as the largest single generational capacity increase for any transoceanic subsea cable system.

The cable will be built in partnership with NEC, a subsea cable systems specialist, and Sumitomo Electric Industries, a fiber producer. French telecommunications company Orange will support the landing of the cable on France's Atlantic coast.

Meta says Petal will use multi-core fiber technology, which it describes as a first for transoceanic distances. The design is intended to double data transfer capacity without a proportional increase in power consumption or physical infrastructure.

Meta states it has invested in more than 20 subsea cable projects to date, including a separate initiative called Project Waterworth, spanning hundreds of thousands of kilometers of subsea cable globally.

Subsea cables carry approximately 99% of intercontinental internet traffic, according to the company's announcement. The information is based on a press release issued by Meta.