Singapore to double capacity for subsea cable landings to enhance digital connectivity

As part of efforts to enhance the country’s digital connectivity, Singapore aims to double its capacity for international subsea cable landings over the next decade.

As part of efforts to enhance the country’s digital connectivity, Singapore aims to double its capacity for international subsea cable landings over the next decade.

Announcing the vision for the nation’s digital future on Monday, Communications and Information Minister Josephine Teo said: “We are not going for more of the same, just faster.

“Instead, we are building capacity for the widespread use of new applications that the current bandwidth will not be good enough for, such as those with data-intensive operations or heavy use of AI.”

Singapore’s domestic infrastructure will also be upgraded to support 10 gigabits per second (Gbps) broadband speeds within the next five years, she said.

The country will also work with industry and research institutions on the development of sustainable software, scale up its use of autonomous systems, and enable innovative solutions in key industries, including maritime and aviation, using technology such as low-Earth orbit satellite services.

There is an estimated 1.4 million km of subsea cables around the world. Laid on the sea bed between land-based stations, these cables carry more than 95 per cent of intercontinental Internet traffic.

Strengthening this network will help enhance connectivity between Singapore and the rest of the world, Mrs Teo added.

Expanding the number of subsea cables here will require at least $10 billion in investments, mainly from the private sector.

Singapore currently has 26 subsea cables landed here across three landing sites, with plans to double the number of sites over the next 10 years.

Additional investments of between $10 billion and $12 billion will be needed for the building of green data centres, which will strengthen Singapore’s domestic computing capacity, Mrs Teo said during the launch of Singapore’s new Digital Connectivity Blueprint.

She did not elaborate on how much the Government would invest in either the subsea cables or green data centres.

The blueprint was first announced by her during the parliamentary debate on her ministry’s budget in February.

It is believed to be the first of its kind to set out holistic plans for digital connectivity infrastructure in the next decade, adopting an integrated approach across different types of digital infrastructure across industries and sectors.

The blueprint aims to “breathe new life and seed new innovations in our economy and society”, said Mrs Teo, who is also Minister-in-charge of Smart Nation and Cybersecurity.

It adopts an “expansive and integrated view” across different types of digital infrastructure, including “soft infrastructure”, or digital utilities such as identity verification and electronic payments, which allow for digital transactions to be conducted seamlessly and securely across borders.

It is “ultimately about the future of businesses and people”, Mrs Teo said.

Speaking to reporters after the event, Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information Janil Puthucheary said several measures are needed to expand the number of subsea cable landings here.

These include working with companies to land the cables in Singapore, as well as collaborating with other government agencies to secure the additional landing sites and infrastructure required to support these new cables, said Dr Janil, who co-chairs an advisory panel that helped to shape the blueprint.

The panel’s other Co-Chair, Mr Irving Tan, Western Digital’s Executive Vice-President of Global Operations, said the Government’s strong track record in investing in digital infrastructure would help inspire investor confidence, pointing to its work together with the industry to provide the country with affordable high-speed broadband Internet.

Source: The Straits Times ©️ SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.