APTelecom, FiberSense Expand Subsea Monitoring Partnership
APTelecom and FiberSense announced a strategic partnership to expand the deployment of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) technology for real‑time subsea cable monitoring. The collaboration leverages APTelecom’s global advisory network to accelerate market access in Europe, the Pacific and other key regions. FiberSense’s DAS platform provides continuous visibility into cable integrity, environmental conditions and potential security threats. Together they aim to bridge the gap between innovative sensing solutions and commercial rollout for operators worldwide.
OMS Group Buys Second DriX Vessel for Cable Surveys
OMS Group, a Kuala Lumpur‑based telecom infrastructure provider, has purchased a second DriX O‑16 uncrewed surface vessel from Exail, adding to the USV Elite acquired last year. The twin vessels, each capable of 30‑day missions and a 3,500‑nautical‑mile range, will...
Chunghwa Telecom Invests in Trans-Pacific E2A Cable
Chunghwa Telecom announced a multi‑carrier investment in the E2A submarine cable, a 12,500‑kilometer trans‑Pacific fiber‑optic system linking Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and California. The project, co‑developed with SK Broadband, SoftBank and Verizon, aims to meet surging demand from AI‑driven cloud...
Bangladesh SMW-5 Repairs Trigger 80-Hour Disruption
Bangladesh’s second submarine cable, SEA-ME-WE-5 (SMW-5), will undergo shunt‑fault repairs from 10 p.m. Thursday, April 9, until 6 a.m. Monday, April 13, causing an expected 80‑hour slowdown or partial outages. Traffic normally routed to Singapore will be diverted to the nation’s other cable, SEA‑ME‑WE‑4,...
Globe Telecom Joins Candle Submarine Cable Consortium
Globe Telecom has joined the Candle submarine cable consortium, an 8,000‑kilometre network linking Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The system, slated for 2028, will deliver up to 570 terabits per second across 24 fibre pairs, boosting capacity...
Equatorial Guinea Considers Accessing Medusa Subsea Cable
Equatorial Guinea is evaluating a connection to the Medusa subsea cable, a 480‑terabit system spanning the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Red Sea. The proposal, estimated at €20‑60 million (US$23‑69 million), targets a 2029‑2030 rollout with a likely landing in Bata. Joining Medusa would...
Colombo Dockyard Begins Orange Marine Cable Vessel
Colombo Dockyard PLC laid the keel for Yard No. 0263, a new cable‑laying and repair vessel commissioned by France’s Orange Marine. The 100‑metre, 1,800‑DWT ship, designed by Norway’s VARD Design, will feature advanced station‑keeping and low‑fuel consumption systems. Construction began...
Pioneer Selected for Alaska OTTER Cable Project
Pioneer Consulting has been chosen by Copper Valley Telephone Cooperative to manage the Oceanic Tatitlek Telecommunications Enhancement Route (OTTER) submarine cable project in Alaska. The 50‑kilometer, repeaterless fiber link will connect Valdez to the remote villages of Tatitlek and Ellamar,...
Chinese Captain Sentenced for Taiwan Cable Damage
A Chinese captain was sentenced to three years in prison for deliberately damaging the Taiwan‑Penghu No. 3 submarine communications cable by anchoring in a restricted zone. The court ordered him to pay NT$18.22 million (about US$570,000) in damages to Chunghwa Telecom. The...
Portugal Positions Itself as a Strategic Hub for Data Center
Portugal’s Council of Ministers approved a new data‑center strategy that streamlines licensing, creates pre‑approved development zones, and designates AICEP as a single investor contact. The plan leverages the country’s abundant renewable energy and extensive submarine‑cable network to position Lisbon as...
UK Tightens National Security Rules for Telecom Infrastructure
On 12 March 2026 the UK government issued its response to a July 2025 consultation, tightening the National Security and Investment Act (NSIA) rules through revised Notifiable Acquisition Regulations (NARs). The revisions break down the advanced‑materials schedule, add water to the scope, and...
Strengthening Subsea Cable Security in the Indo-Pacific
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) proposes a cooperative framework to bolster subsea cable security across the Indo‑Pacific, a region that now carries roughly 95% of global data traffic. Japan alone operates at least 20 landing stations, underscoring...
Tonga Gains New Transpacific Cable Link via Hawaiki
BW Digital announced the landing of a 383‑km spur of the Hawaiki subsea cable in Tonga, creating the nation’s second international fiber link and its first direct connection to a trans‑pacific backbone. The cable ties Tonga to Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii...
El Salvador Eyes $80M Subsea Cable Investment
El Salvador's 2026 public investment plan earmarks $278.2 million for two flagship projects: a $81.24 million subsea cable and the Pacific International Airport in La Unión. The cable, 1,800 km long, is slated for completion in the second half of 2028 and will link...
Marshall Islands Advances Pacific Connect Cable Project
The National Telecommunications Authority of the Marshall Islands signed an agreement to join the Pacific Connect initiative, adding the Iokwe subsea fiber‑optic cable that will connect Majuro directly to Google’s Halaihai system. Backed by U.S. Trade and Development Agency funding,...
