AUG East Consortium and NEC To Develop High-Capacity Submarine Cable System Across East Asia

Singtel announced the signing of a contract with NEC Corporation to build the Asia United Gateway East submarine cable system connecting Singapore and Japan, with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan. Targeted for completion by the third quarter of 2029, the 8,900 km high-capacity cable system will support the demand for more bandwidth across this route, enhancing digital connectivity in the region.

The consortium, chaired by Singtel, includes Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, ARTERIA Networks, Chunghwa Telecom, DREAMLINE, Globe Telecom, Telekom Malaysia and Unified National Networks.

Mr Alan Tan, Chairperson of the Asia United Gateway Cable Management Committee and Director, Submarine Cable Planning at Singtel, stated, “With the surge in demand for high-speed connectivity and bandwidth needed for AI innovation in the region, the development of resilient, high-capacity digital infrastructure is more important than ever. We’ve initiated this new AUG East submarine cable system to connect the digital hubs of Singapore and Japan, which will strengthen and improve network diversity and reliability along this important route. This investment will play a critical role in advancing digital inclusion and catalysing economic growth across the region.”

Mr Tomonori Uematsu, Corporate Senior Vice President with NEC Corporation, stated, “NEC is honoured to have been selected as a partner for this significant project, which will support increasingly bandwidth-intensive applications driven by technological advancements in data centres, and artificial intelligence. As one of the top companies in the submarine cable business, NEC will ensure the success of this project by leveraging its extensive experience as a supplier based in Asia.”

Designed using the latest submarine fibre optic technologies, AUG East will feature a high-count fibre pair system delivering unprecedented bandwidth capacity. Global network traffic from AI applications and AI-enhanced applications is forecasted to exceed conventional application traffic by 2031[1], and organisations in the Asia Pacific region now lead the world in terms of their willingness to invest in digital and generative AI technologies[2]. 

AUG East will complement existing submarine cable systems in the region by providing additional bandwidth to meet consumers’ and businesses’ voracious demand for reliable and low-latency data access, as well as improving network diversity and cable resilience in the event of natural disasters like earthquakes.

Singtel is one of the most technically experienced consortium partners, with its long history and expertise in submarine cable investments in the region. These investments include the Southeast Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 6 and Southeast Asia - Japan 2 cable systems, totalling more than 195,000 km and covering over 30 countries.

Source: Singtel media announcement