China Mobile, a key initiator and investor in the Southeast Asia-Hainan-Hong Kong (SEA-H2X) international submarine cable project, has successfully landed the cable in Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong. With this, construction of the Hongkong segment has officially begun, with full system completion anticipated by the end of 2025.
The SEA-H2X international submarine cable spans approximately 6,000 kilometers, featuring eight trunk fiber pairs along the trunk and a system design capacity exceeding 200 Tbps. It connects Hainan, and Hong Kong, in China, with the Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore.
Employing open cable access technology with spectrum sharing capabilities, the project aims to significantly boost the overall network flexibility and access efficiency. In a press release the company also said that the project incorporates “advanced core submarine equipment” to deliver “ultra-high transmission capacity, while enhancing operational security, service configuration agility, and reliability in complex networking environments”.
It further said that as the project’s largest investor, China Mobile has invested in four trunk fiber pairs and several branch segments, securing at least 100 Tbps of dedicated bandwidth upon commissioning. The initiative complements China Mobile’s existing submarine cables, such as SJC, APG, and the SJC2 added in July this year. With a total of ten regional submarine routes now in place, China Mobile is able to deliver high-bandwidth, low-latency, flexible, and reliable transmission solutions, establishing a world-class digital infrastructure for computing networks and providing superior digital services to customers across Asia-Pacific and the world.
As a significant digital infrastructure project, the SEA-H2X international submarine cable tightly connects the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area—represented by Hong Kong—with the Hainan Free Trade Port and major Southeast Asian hubs. The system not only fully leverages Hong Kong’s role as a strategic digital hub but also establishes a direct international ‘data artery’ from Hainan to Southeast Asia, enhancing coordinated regional development and supporting digital industry growth and international data center operations.
