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The Asia Direct Cable (ADC) spans approximately 10,000km, connecting China, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam
Today, Japanese tech giant NEC Corporation has announced the activation of the long-awaited ADC submarine cable system.
The cable, which connects China, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, has a capacity of over 160 Tbps and represents a significant boost to data traffic route diversity in the region.
“This new cable marks a significant milestone, providing a vital foundation to support the ever-growing communications needs of Asia and the world,” said Koji Ishii, MC Chairperson of the ADC Consortium. “The milestone represents the culmination of our efforts to overcome numerous challenges, made possible through steadfast collaboration and partnerships with esteemed stakeholders from various countries, including NEC. We are confident that this cable system will significantly contribute to the development of the AI industry in the Asia region.”
Planning for the cable began in 2020 with the formation of the ADC consortium, which includes SoftBank, China Telecom Global, China Telecom Corporation, China Unicom, Singtel, TATA Communications, National Telecom and PLDT, and Viettel Solutions.
Japan’s NEC was contracted to deploy the cable, initially planning the route to be ready for service in 2022. However, various factors, including lengthy permitting procedures, have seen the cable launch delayed for over two years.
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