Meta Unveils Petal, a High-Bandwidth Subsea Cable with Corning as Key Supplier
On September 21, 2026, Meta Platforms announced the development of 'Petal,' a transoceanic subsea cable designed to deliver petabit-scale bandwidth between the United States and France. The project is expected to enter commercial service in 2029 and represents a major shift toward private infrastructure for hyperscale AI operations. Meta has partnered with Corning Incorporated, securing an up to $6 billion supply agreement over multiple years. Additionally, Corning will provide fiber through its deal with Verizon until 2032 under the same framework. The move signals growing demand in physical-layer infrastructure as companies like Meta seek control over data transmission for AI training and deployment. Meta is funding this initiative using strong financials: it generates $60 billion annually in net income, has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, and can self-fund large-scale projects with operating cash flow.
Topics: AI infrastructure Corning Inc. Meta Platforms Telecom supply agreements Undersea cables