In light of key locations and promising digital growth prospects in the trans-Asian region, there has been an increased interest in interconnecting– enhancing the infrastructures for potential clients.
A consortium of telecommunications companies including Singapore Telecommunications Limited (Singtel), Unified National Networks Sdn Bhd (UNN), Globe Telecom, Inc. (Globe) and DITO Telecommunity Corporation (DITO) of the Philippines, as well as China Telecom Global Limited (CTG), has signed agreements to invest nearly $300 million in Asian Link Cable (ALC), a submarine cable system in Southeast Asia, in order to increase data capacity in the region and update local capacities.
According to Alan Tan, ALC Co-Chair, at the beginning of the pandemic, they began planning and designing the ALC cable because they had foreseen the region’s inescapable increase in high-definition content consumption, trade, and innovation.
In spite of the difficulties posed by safe management regulations, they were able to develop a system that will support local economies now and in the near future while also helping to fulfill the changing needs of consumers and businesses.
The 6,000 km long Asia Link Cable (ALC) that is being developed will have branches in Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines, and the Chinese provinces of Hainan and Hong Kong SAR. The ALC is anticipated to be fully built by the third quarter of 2025, by HMN Technologies Co., Limited (HMN Tech), who was chosen as the system supplier.
ALC is thought to provide resilience for international traffic and offer additional hyper-capacity within Asia. With a minimum of eight fiber pairs and a minimum trunk design capacity of 18 Tbps per fiber pair, it will increase the capacity and variety of the area’s existing networks.
According to Wu Xiaolei, Executive Vice President of CTG, Asia Link Cable (ALC) is essential for connecting and providing value for their consumers in the Digitalization Era, especially in Asia. By constructing robust and dependable underwater cables all around the world, they hope to create a more sustainable environment and community while also improving the effectiveness of their communication systems.
Chang Weiguo, ALC Co-Chair, also pointed out that ALC is a fantastic achievement of Asian carriers that surmounted Covid impacts’ challenges. ALC consortium upholds an open and inclusive ethos and will soon draw additional investors to make it more affordable, which will strengthen Asia’s interconnectivity’s resiliency and better serve the region’s digital economy.
Furthermore, for Mao Shengjiang , CEO of HMN Tech, due to this new cable system the ALC consortium’s efforts to build digital and intelligent networks throughout Asia and around the world will gain new momentum.
There has been an increase in interest in connecting in the trans-Asian region, enhancing the infrastructures for potential clients, due to key locations and optimistic digital growth prospects. The improved capabilities provided by this subsea cable system will better serve the region’s needs going forward.
