A new 10,000 kilometer long underwater cable system is being constructed to help connect countries in Asia, and Facebook is among the investors in the project. The Asia Pacific Gateway is a planned fiber optic cable system that will run from Malaysia to South Korea and Japan, with seven different offshoots hitting other Asian countries as well, including both China and Vietnam. According to a Facebook spokesperson, the social network is investing in the project in order to aid its continued expansion in the region.
"Our investment in this cable will help support our growth in South Asia," the company told the BBC. Malaysian telecom firm Time Dotcom has entered into an agreement to build and maintain the submarine cable network, which it describes as "the most strategic and widespread Asian cable system." The Asia Pacific Gateway is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2014.