Big Tech Stakes New Claims Under the Sea

A US Ireland subsea cable boosts capacity and signals rising hyperscaler influence in global infrastructure

5 Nov 2025

A major cloud provider has unveiled plans for Fastnet, a privately owned subsea cable between the US and Ireland, adding fresh capacity on one of the world’s busiest data routes and highlighting the growing role of hyperscalers in long-distance infrastructure.

Fastnet will connect Maryland with Ireland and aims to offer higher throughput and a more resilient transatlantic path. Engineers say the southern US landing point marks a shift away from traditional hubs. One engineer said: “We cannot keep relying on the same coastal choke points. The stakes are too high and the traffic is too heavy.”

The project reflects a wider change in how subsea systems are financed and operated. Earlier cables were usually built by carrier consortia. Fastnet, by contrast, will be fully owned and run by the cloud company. Google, Meta and Microsoft have also invested in dedicated systems to secure bandwidth for cloud services, streaming platforms and AI workloads. Analysts argue that direct ownership gives operators tighter control over performance and long-term capacity planning than leasing from telecom groups.

Policy specialists note that the model raises regulatory questions. Private control of major international routes may require new oversight tools to assess resilience, access and transparency. One industry analyst said regulators are considering how to evaluate accountability as a small group of companies expands its share of critical data corridors.

Fastnet is scheduled to enter service in 2028, although permitting and environmental reviews could alter the timeline. The project adds to a growing set of privately driven networks that are reshaping global connectivity. As more hyperscalers build their own backbones, businesses and consumers are expected to benefit from more stable and faster links, even as governance debates continue.