Singtel, alongside a consortium of leading telecommunications and tech companies, has signed a contract with NEC Corporation to construct the Asia United Gateway East (AUG East) submarine cable system. This ambitious project will link Singapore and Japan, with additional connections to Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, and Taiwan. Scheduled for completion by Q3 2029, the 8,900 km cable aims to meet the increasing demand for bandwidth and bolster digital connectivity across the region.
The consortium, chaired by Singtel, includes major players such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and Telekom Malaysia. Alan Tan, Chairperson of the Asia United Gateway Cable Management Committee, highlighted the importance of this development, stating, “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.”
NEC Corporation, a leader in the submarine cable industry, will leverage its extensive experience to ensure the project’s success. Tomonori Uematsu, Corporate Senior Vice President at NEC, expressed the company’s commitment: “NEC is honoured to have been selected as a partner for this significant project.”
The AUG East system will utilise the latest submarine fibre optic technologies, featuring a high-count fibre pair system to deliver unprecedented bandwidth capacity. This infrastructure will not only support the growing demand for reliable data access but also improve network resilience against natural disasters.
Singtel’s involvement in the AUG East project underscores its expertise in submarine cable investments, further solidifying its role in advancing digital connectivity across Asia.
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