Presently, there are 4 operational submarine cable programs linking Vietnam to the remainder of the world: AAE-1, AAG, TGN-IA, and APG. The SEA-ME-WE 3 cable system beforehand linked with Vietnam, nonetheless, it was retired in early December.
Three new cables are beneath development to attach Vietnam: ADC, ALC, and SJC2. Furthermore, Viettel and Singtel have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to assemble the Vietnam-Singapore Cable System (VTS).
Vietnam has skilled frequent web disruptions resulting from faults in its underwater cables. For example, each the APG and AAE-1 cables are at present not functioning and awaiting repairs. In June, three out of 5 undersea cables connecting Vietnam to the world (APG, AAE-1, and TGN-IA) encountered points, inflicting web pace reductions throughout the nation. The restore of the AAE-1 cable continues to be pending. In January 2023, 4 out of 5 undersea cables (AAG, IA, APG, and AAE-1) weren’t operational, resulting in sluggish web speeds throughout Vietnam.
In January 2024, the Prime Minister of Vietnam issued Resolution 36/QD-TTg (Resolution 36), approving Vietnam’s Digital Infrastructure Grasp Plan 2030. In response to this plan, Vietnam goals so as to add two-to-four worldwide web cables by 2025 and one other four-to-six worldwide undersea fiber optic cables by 2030.
Moreover, by 2030, Vietnam plans to extend the overall variety of submarine cables to fifteen, every with a complete capability of no less than 334 Tbps. Sovico Group will concentrate on offering high-quality services in varied sectors to fulfill buyer wants and combine with the worldwide financial system. In September, Sovico Group signed an MoU with U.S.-based tech firm, Supermicro, to develop a hyperscale knowledge middle in Vietnam.
In response to SCMP, Keppel and Sovico Group are contemplating laying a cable that can immediately join Vietnam with Singapore, predicted to price an estimated USD 150 million.
The brand new tasks led by Keppel and Sovico Group might be separate from earlier investments introduced by Vietnamese corporations in 4 new undersea cables. These embrace the ADC and SJC2 cables, constructed by Japan’s NEC; ALC, constructed by China’s HMN Tech; and the Vietnam-Singapore submarine cable system introduced by Vietnam’s Viettel and Singapore’s Singtel.
Given its proximity to China, Vietnam faces challenges in aligning with the U.S. on methods and insurance policies associated to digital infrastructure and undersea cables.
