Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

Japanese companies NTT DATA, Sumitomo Corporation, and JA Mitsui Leasing plan to lay a new underwater cable connecting several countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Azernews reports.

According to NTT DATA, the cable will span approximately 8,100 kilometers, linking Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore with South Korea, the Philippines, and Taiwan.

To carry out the project, the companies will establish a joint venture called Intra-Asia Marine Networks. The cable will consist of 16 pairs of fiber-optic lines and is expected to provide a data transfer capacity of around 320 terabits per second. The project is estimated to cost about $1 billion and is scheduled for completion by 2029.

Previously, Japan and Singapore announced plans for another underwater cable stretching 8,900 kilometers, which will connect these countries with Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, and Taiwan.

It is worth noting that around 99% of international data traffic is transmitted via underwater cables, making them a critical part of global economic and digital security infrastructure.

Modern submarine cables are often laid along carefully surveyed routes to avoid natural hazards, and some are even armored to withstand fishing activities and shark attacks. These hidden networks are the backbone of the internet, carrying more data than satellites ever could.