EXA Plans New Transatlantic Cable as Capacity Crunch Arrives Early
EXA Infrastructure says transatlantic capacity is being consumed sooner than expected, with existing capacity projected to run out around early 2027. The company plans a new 500 Tbps subsea cable called Meridian, expected in 2029, as AWS, Google, and Meta hold capacity on their own routes for AI. Demand is also rising from financial firms and neo-clouds, with enterprises seeking higher-capacity wavelengths and diverse routes.
EXA Infrastructure had expected its Atlantic systems to last longer, but its acquisition of Aqua Comms sold out faster than anticipated. Meanwhile, major cloud providers are reserving space on their own subsea routes for AI workloads, reducing available wholesale capacity.
The planned Meridian cable would span roughly 6,500 km from New Jersey to Brean, UK, with 500 Tbps and 24 fiber pairs, arriving in 2029. EXA says interim capacity secured for late 2027/2028 should bridge the gap, though it may be exhausted in 12–18 months.
The earlier transatlantic squeeze could affect how quickly AI services, financial trading, and cloud applications scale, as operators prioritize scarce bandwidth. Enterprises and neo-clouds may face higher prices or fewer route options, while consumers could see slower improvements in latency and resilience. The build may ease pressure after 2029, but until then, redundancy and capacity may be tighter.