Vietnam looks to improve internet connectivity with new undersea cables

Vietnamese tech companies FPT and Viettel plan to invest millions of dollars in constructing undersea cables that will improve Vietnam’s connectivity with other Asian countries, as the country’s current cables are prone to frequent disruptions and breakdowns that can take a long time to fix.

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FPT, a Vietnamese tech firm, is reportedly planning to invest $87 million to construct a cable that will link Vietnam with the undersea Asia Link Cable. The latter cable stretches across Hong Kong, mainland China, the Philippines, Brunei, and Singapore. In addition, another state-owned telecoms company Viettel has also revealed plans to build an undersea cable that is estimated to cost $290 million, run for 9,800 kilometres, and offer a capacity exceeding 140 tbps.

Vietnam’s present undersea cables are prone to disruptions and breakdowns that can require extended periods to resolve. A recent article reported a new technical issue with the Asia Pacific Gateway (APG) internet cable, which connects Vietnam with other Asian countries, while prior issues on the same cable remain unresolved.