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| Facebook participates in the Apricot project to promote global communication |
As part of a larger effort to connect the world to the Facebook platform, the company announced that it will co-invest in a new Apricot submarine cable delivery project, which aims to improve network access in the Asia-Pacific region.
The company announced that the 12,000 km apricot cable connects Japan, Taiwan, Guam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore.
Regardless of the technical term, the Google-led Apricot project is increasing the overall capacity of the transoceanic network by 70%, helping more people connect to the network, and creating more jobs for people and businesses in the region.
As Facebook's Director of Communication and Access Policy in the Asia Pacific region explains, the Asia Pacific region is the company's growth engine. Two-thirds of the world's population lives in this region. It has half of the world's mobile phone users.
Over 90% of businesses in the Asia Pacific region are small and medium-sized businesses that form the backbone of our global economy. The region is also a leader in terms of video consumption and Facebook messaging usage.
Check out the latest Facebook stats. It is clear that usage in the Asia Pacific region has grown the most in the past two years, making it a major focus for the company.
Due to stable growth in North America, the number of monthly active users in Europe decreased in the last quarter. Facebook needs to focus on these areas of growth.
Developing regions like Indonesia are still going through their own digital transformation. As long as they can access their apps, the company can act as a key to millions of other users.
Facebook participates in the Apricot project to promote global communication
It is estimated that more than two billion people in the Asia Pacific region currently do not have access to the Internet, either because they live in remote areas without an Internet connection or because the Internet is too expensive for them.
Hence, Facebook's investment in this profile is good from a PR and business perspective.
In this context, Facebook also announced the inclusion of four new branches in the 2Africa submarine cable project. This will expand the network to the Comoros, Seychelles and Angola and bring in new landings in southeastern Nigeria.
The company invested $1 billion in the plan. This provides another way to connect with over a billion aspiring users and expand their global influence and business advantage.
The question arises as to whether legal entities are allowed to hold property or be associated with such enterprises. But the bottom line is that many of these broadband cables require commercial investment.
There are strict rules for doing this. Both Facebook and Google depend on their ability to attract more users. It's not about network access.
The company also hopes to take advantage of projects like this to maximize its business benefits.