China Unicom Group, one of China’s major telecommunications operators, has revealed plans for the construction of a nearly 3,000-kilometer-long submarine optical fiber cable, which will span from Hong Kong to Sihanoukville in southern Cambodia. This project represents Cambodia’s inaugural state-owned submarine optical fiber cable, equipped with substantial capacity for international communication.
Commencing construction on March 2 of the upcoming year, the Beijing-based carrier anticipates completing the project by July 2025. China Unicom emphasizes that this endeavor will serve to strengthen its collaborative efforts with Cambodia in the realm of digital infrastructure development and the digital economy in the years to come.
The SEA-H2X submarine cable, a joint initiative involving China Unicom, will connect various regions, including Hong Kong, the southernmost province of China, Hainan, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. Additionally, it will extend further to encompass Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia.
China Unicom boasts a network comprising over 20 terrestrial optical fiber cable border stations that link China with more than 10 neighboring countries and regions. This network also interfaces with over 20 international terrestrial optical fiber cable systems. Furthermore, the company possesses 10 global submarine cable landing stations and is associated with more than 60 submarine cable systems.
In May, China has also reportedly decided to develop its own underwater fiber-optic cable alternative after losing the bid to build the “SeaMeWe-6” data-link connecting Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
The cable route would pass through several countries, including France, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore, before diverging to China’s Hainan province and Hong Kong, with an anticipated completion date of 2025.
Submarine cables represent another domain in which China seeks to shape the future. As over 95 percent of international data traverses the submarine network, these cables are a valuable source of information for nation-states, carrying a wide range of data from emails to financial transactions.
