FPT Telecom, one of the telecommunication and internet providers in Vietnam, has invested $87 million to develop a new undersea fiber optic cable connecting Vietnam to international destinations called Asia Link Cable (ALC).
Asia Link Cable is a submarine cable approximately 6,000km in length. The cable connects multiple locations in the Asian region, such as Hong Kong, Hainan (China), Luna, Bauang (Philippines), Tungku (Brunei), and Changi (Singapore).
The ALC fiber optic cable system is intended to contain a minimum of 8 pairs of fiber optic cables, each of which has a minimum specified trunk capacity of 18 Tbps. When completed, this cable will help expand the capacity and variety of the regional Internet network.
The construction of the ALC fiber optic cable is anticipated to cost $300 million and will be completed in Q3 of 2025. China Telecom Global Limited (CTG), Globe Telecom, Inc. (Globe), DITO Telecommunity Corporation (DITO), Singapore Telecommunications Limited (Singtel), and Unified National Networks Sdn Bhd (UNN) are just a few of the well-known companies involved in the project.
The undersea cable route will be implemented during the project’s implementation process in accordance with the ALC process. FPT Telecom will invest in, build, install, and manage operations for the stations.
In February 2023, Vietnam Internet Association (VIA) Secretary General Vu The Binh said that Vietnam needs at least two or three more submarine fiber cable routes in the next five years to serve mounting demand.
The Ministry of Information and Communications has stated that by 2025, it is anticipated that Vietnamese companies will utilize roughly 10 submarine cable routes, which is a twofold increase from the current amount.
In order to implement this policy and add capacity to fulfill the demand for global internet connectivity, new submarine cable routes such SJC2, ADC, and ALC will be put into operation.