Singtel, together with five regional carriers, announced the signing of a $300 million (SG$420.8 million) contract to build a 6,000km submarine cable system known as the Asia Link Cable System (ALC) that will be completed by the third quarter of 2025.
Singtel said the ALC aims to support Southeast Asia’s economic growth by connecting Hong Kong SAR and Singapore, with the Philippines, Brunei and Hainan, China.
The consortium, co-led by Singtel and China Telecom Global (CTG), comprises four regional carriers – China Telecommunications Corporation (CTC), Globe Telecom and DITO Telecommunity Corporation (DITO) of the Philippines, and Unified National Networks (UNN) of Brunei.
Demand for internet connectivity is burgeoning in Southeast Asia with the region’s digital economy forecast to expand to $363 billion by 2025, fuelled by growth in e-commerce and increasingly digital populations.
With eight fibre pairs in the system that can transmit up to 18 terabits per second (Tbps) per fibre pair, or the equivalent of downloading more than 2,500 hours of ultra high-definition video per second, the ALC will add more capacity and route diversity to existing networks.
ALC will adopt the open cable system design which will reduce the dependency on any single provider consortium partner, and enable timely capacity upgrades to cater to evolving carrier requirements. ALC will enhance Singtel’s submarine cable infrastructure and unlock opportunities for businesses in Singapore and the region.
