Consortium members from China Mobile International Limited (CMI), China Unicom Global (CUG), Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions, Inc. (Converge), PPTEL SEA H2X Sdn. Bhd (PPTEL SEA-H2X) together with the infrastructure builder HMN Technologies Co., Limited (HMN Tech) convened in Manila to continue discussing the technical implementation of the South East Asia Hainan – Hong Kong Express Cable System (SEA-H2X).
Following the discussions, the SEA-H2X consortium is optimistic that the 5,000-kilometer submarine cable system will be online by 2024. SEA-H2X will connect Hong Kong SAR China, Hainan China, Philippines, Thailand, East Malaysia, and Singapore.
Fiber broadband provider Converge hosted the meeting which was held recently in Taguig City, Metro Manila. The upcoming international cable system will land in La Union province in the Philippines, Tseung Kwan O in Hong Kong SAR China, Hainan China, Songkhla Thailand, Kuching Malaysia and Tuas in Singapore.
The SEA-H2X submarine cable system will consist of 8-fiber pairs between Hong Kong SAR and Singapore, with a design capacity of 160 terabits per second to meet the growing bandwidth requirement in the region. Converge will have 2-fiber pairs on the Hong Kong SAR – Singapore segment of SEA-H2X. The System is targeted to be ready-for-service in 2024 which will help businesses and consumers benefit from increasing digital ties.
Converge Chief Operations Officer, Jesus C. Romero, highlighted the significance of this intra-Asian submarine cable, particularly in positioning the Philippines as a digital gateway in the region: “In Converge, we have a dream and that is to make the Philippines a digital transit hub in Asia. The SEA-H2X project is one step towards that dream where we hope to create a more vibrant industry that can position businesses for success, provide employment, and continually improve the lives of Filipinos over time,” said Romero.
“PPTEL SEA-H2X is delighted with the progress of SEA-H2X. We embarked on a massive telecommunications infrastructure project in Sarawak to build a strong internet backbone that connects Sarawak to the wider world. We have laid our first subsea cable BaSICS (Batam – Sarawak Internet Cable System) and our very own Tier IV Data Centre is ready and connected. With the addition of SEA-H2X, we are endeavouring to place Sarawak firmly on the map as the alternative regional hub in Southeast Asia,” shared Dr Jonathan Smith, CEO of PPTEL.
