Asia Link Cable System Connects Key Asian Hubs
The Asia Link Cable System (ALC) will span 6,000 km and connect Hong Kong SAR and Singapore, with additional branches to the Philippines, Brunei and Hainan, China. The system aims to meet rising data demand, enhance regional connectivity and provide more resilient routes for carriers and digital platforms.
HMN Technologies (HMN Tech) (formerly Huawei Marine Networks) will supply the optical fiber cable for the project. ALC will deploy at least eight fiber pairs, each designed for a minimum trunk capacity of 18 Tbps, significantly increasing available bandwidth in the region. The project team expects to complete the system in 2025.
Open Cable Architecture and Technical Scope
ALC will use an open cable system architecture, which allows each consortium member to select, deploy and maintain its own line terminal equipment. This approach gives operators more flexibility to tailor network performance, manage upgrades and meet specific customer requirements.
By combining high-capacity fiber pairs with open architecture, ALC will support cloud services, high‑definition content, financial trading traffic and other latency‑sensitive applications. The system will also diversify existing subsea routes, improving redundancy for cross‑border data flows across Asia.
Consortium Leadership and Pandemic Milestone
A carrier consortium leads the ALC project, with co‑chairs Singtel and China Telecom Global Limited, alongside China Telecommunications Corporation, Globe Telecom, DITO Telecommunity Corporation and Unified National Networks. Together, they plan and finance the system, while coordinating construction, operations and ongoing maintenance.
“ALC is a great accomplishment of Asian carriers which overcame difficulties of Covid impacts, and it is also the only subsea project with zero face‑to‑face meetings from the memorandum of understanding to the construction and maintenance agreement signing in the industry,” said Chang Weiguo, co‑chair of ALC. The partners began planning the cable more than two years ago, at the start of the pandemic, as they anticipated rapid growth in high‑definition content, digital trade and innovation across the region, noted Alan Tan, ALC co‑chair from Singtel.
HMN Tech’s Subsea Cable Track Record
HMN Tech brings extensive subsea experience to the project. The company reports that it has already deployed more than 80,000 km of submarine network systems worldwide. Its role as system supplier for ALC underscores its continuing presence in the global subsea cable market and its contribution to Asia’s digital infrastructure.
