Top 3 tech, startup and sustainability stories of the week, 2nd - 6th Dec, 2024
This week's are about Amazon, Google and Meta
1-Facebook’s $10 billion subsea cable to connect the globe
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, plans a subsea cable project that could redefine global internet infrastructure. According to sources, the company aims to invest over $10 billion in a 40,000-kilometer fiber-optic network spanning the globe.
I saw this story at Techcrunch and the cable, which would be Meta's first fully owned subsea system, is intended to support its massive data traffic demands. With billions of users accounting for 10% of global fixed and 22% of mobile internet traffic, Meta's move reflects its commitment to ensuring reliable infrastructure for its expanding operations, including AI-driven services.
Sources unfolded Meta's project is expected to be announced publicly in 2025. The company is reportedly planning a route that forms a "W" across the globe: connecting the U.S. East Coast to India via South Africa and circling back to the U.S. West Coast via Australia. This design aims to bypass geopolitically sensitive areas like the Red Sea and South China Sea, reducing risks from conflicts and sabotage, the story said.
"This is a significant step for Meta," said Sunil Tagare, a subsea cable specialist who first reported on the plan. "They’ll start with a $2 billion budget, but the total investment will likely exceed $10 billion as the project evolves over several years."
Let me add that building the infrastructure will face challenges. Subsea cable manufacturers like SubCom are already booked with major clients like Google. Analysts predict Meta might adopt a phased approach, constructing the cable in segments to align with available resources.
2-Google builds first mass timber office building
Google officially opened 1265 Borregas, its first office building constructed with mass timber, located in Sunnyvale, California.
I read this story at esgnews.com and mass timber, an engineered wood celebrated for its low environmental impact, plays a key role in the building's sustainability. The material not only stores carbon but also reduces embodied carbon emissions compared to conventional steel and concrete. Google estimates that 1265 Borregas has 96% fewer embodied carbon emissions than an equivalent traditional structure, factoring in carbon sequestration. As a side note, the timber used in the building was responsibly sourced from Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified forests.
“This building showcases how sustainable design can empower people to excel at work,” said Michelle Kaufmann, Google’s director of research and development for the built environment, at the building’s unveiling in the Moffett Park district.
Additional green features include:
Beyond its environmental footprint, the site includes three acres of pollinator-friendly native plants, featuring California sagebrush and common milkweed to support local biodiversity. Public art honoring Atari—the site’s former occupant—adds a nod to the location's cultural history. Mass timber construction also minimized waste, noise, and traffic disruptions, creating a positive impact for the surrounding community.
3- Amazon unveils AI supercomputer
Amazon Web Services (AWS) , Amazon’s cloud arm, announced artificial intelligence (AI) technology with the introduction of a massive supercomputer and a state-of-the-art server, both powered by its proprietary AI chips. The announcement delivered at the company’s annual re:Invent in Las Vegas took place on Dec 2- 6.
I read this story at WSJ and AWS revealed its plan for Project Rainier, a supercomputer featuring hundreds of thousands of Trainium chips designed in-house. Slated to debut in 2025, the Ultracluster will be one of the largest supercomputers globally, supporting AI training for startups like Anthropic, in which Amazon recently invested $4 billion.
Dave Brown, AWS’s VP of Compute and Networking Services, highlighted the significance of the project, calling it a milestone in scaling AI infrastructure. By combining massive computational power with innovative design, the Ultracluster will support increasingly complex AI models.
At the conference, AWS also revealed the Ultraserver, a high-performance server built with 64 interconnected Trainium chips, the story said. Designed to handle demanding AI workloads, the Ultraserver boasts 83.2 petaflops of computing power, enabling faster and more cost-efficient AI model training.
This approach mirrors Amazon’s strategy of leveraging its custom silicon to reduce costs for customers, giving businesses an alternative to Nvidia’s widely-used GPUs.
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