Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel) and a group of leading telco and tech firms have signed a contract with NEC Corporation to build a new 8,900 km submarine cable system.

Called the Asia United Gateway East (AUG East), the subsea cable will connect Singapore and Japan, with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan. It is scheduled for completion by the third quarter of 2029.

To be built using the latest fibre optic technology, AUG East will feature a high-count fibre pair system designed to deliver significant bandwidth capacity. By providing additional bandwidth to complement existing submarine cable systems, it will address the region’s artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure needs. Tech research firm Omdia forecasts that global network traffic from AI applications will surpass that of conventional applications by 2031.

AUG East will also enhance network diversity and cable resilience, helping to maintain connectivity during natural disasters such as earthquakes.

“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. This investment will play a critical role in advancing digital inclusion and catalysing economic growth across the region,” says Alan Tan, chairperson of the Asia United Gateway Cable Management Committee and director of Submarine Cable Planning at Singtel.

The consortium behind the project is chaired by Singtel and includes Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Aeteria Networks, Chunghwa Telecom, Dreamline, Globe Telecom, Telekom Malaysia and Unified National Networks.

Singtel has a long history and expertise in submarine cable investments in the region. Its investments include the Southeast Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 6 and Southeast Asia-Japan 2 cable systems, spanning over 195,000 kilometres to cover more than 30 countries.

Singtel jumps 2.47% at 11:11 am, July 17th.