Pacific Undersea Cables and Island Connectivity — 2026-10-23
The U.S.-backed Southeast Asia data cable is finalizing its supplier selection between NEC and Alcatel, excluding Chinese firms, while new data reveals a stark digital divide in the Pacific with two-thirds of the population lacking mobile internet access. Meanwhile, the Philippines is intensifying security cooperation with Taiwan following recent maritime tensions near cable landing zones.
Pacific Undersea Cables and Island Connectivity — 2026-10-23
Top developments
US-Backed SEA Cable Selects Supplier, Excluding China
Developers of the new US-backed undersea data cable linking Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Thailand are finalizing their supplier selection this month, choosing between Japan's NEC and France's Alcatel Submarine Networks. The $400 million, 2,500-km project is explicitly structured to exclude Chinese suppliers, reflecting a broader geopolitical strategy to secure digital infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific. This decision highlights the "two parallel tech stacks" emerging in the region as the U.S. and China compete for influence.
Pacific Mobile Internet Gap Persists Despite Coverage
A new report by GSMA Intelligence, commissioned by the Asian Development Bank, reveals that nearly two-thirds of people in the Pacific Islands remain without mobile internet access, despite expanding network coverage. The findings underscore that affordability and digital skills, rather than just physical infrastructure, are the primary barriers to connectivity in the region. This gap poses a significant challenge for island nations relying on digital transformation for economic development.
Philippines Strengthens Cable Security with Taiwan
The Philippines is exploring deeper cooperation with Taiwan on undersea cable security following an incident in October where a Chinese research ship was challenged near the Batanes island group. This move signals a shift in Manila’s approach to protecting critical digital infrastructure, which is increasingly viewed through the lens of regional security and sovereignty. The collaboration aims to enhance monitoring and response capabilities against potential gray-zone threats to cable networks.
Local view
In French Polynesia, local media reports that internet provider Onati is awaiting the arrival of Google’s future submarine cables to reinforce connectivity after recent outages. The outages, partly triggered by an incident in Hawaii, have highlighted the fragility of the region's reliance on the Honotua cable system and the urgent need for greater redundancy.
Context & numbers
The global subsea cable network, estimated at 1.5 million kilometers, faces serious resilience challenges, with the APNIC Blog noting that critical infrastructure is increasingly vulnerable to both accidental damage and deliberate sabotage. Meanwhile, a new $620 million subsea cable project linking Canada and Norway is gaining traction, aiming to bypass U.S. routes entirely, though it faces significant onshore permitting hurdles.
On the radar
- Supplier Announcement: The final selection of the supplier (NEC or Alcatel) for the US-backed SEA cable is expected imminently, with potential ripple effects on other regional projects.
- Gray-Zone Threats: A new book reviewed by Foreign Policy highlights the "shadow war" being fought over undersea cables, with increased attention on gray-zone sabotage tactics.
- Philippines-Taiwan Talks: Watch for formal announcements on joint monitoring or security frameworks between Manila and Taipei regarding cable protection.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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