Facebook and Microsoft's big undersea cable is finally finished

More than 17,000 feet below the ocean's surface, there now lies the "most technologically advanced subsea cable," providing up to 160 terabits (Tbps) of data per second — beating Google's alternative, now poorly named, "Faster." The cable is the handiwork of Facebook, Microsoft, and Spanish telecommunication company Telxius. 

Construction on the cable, which stretches 4,000 miles from Virginia Beach, Virginia to Bilbao, Spain, began in August 2016. Microsoft announced its completion on Thursday, but it won't be operational until early 2018.