A Cable That Could Change Asia’s Digital Map

Singtel, AWS, and Microsoft join forces on a major APAC subsea push with tighter focus on regulation and resilience

20 Nov 2025

A regional consortium led by Singtel, with Amazon Web Services and Microsoft as key partners, is moving forward with a new subsea cable system that aims to reshape data flows across Asia Pacific by 2029. The AUG East project is intended to support the region’s fast growth in cloud usage and AI-driven workloads, which have intensified pressure on existing routes.

The planned 8,900km link will connect Singapore and Japan through a series of intermediate hubs. Industry analysts say the initiative reflects a broader need for modern, high-capacity infrastructure to match the region’s digital expansion, as companies and governments pursue more data-intensive activities.

Regulatory oversight has become a central factor in the build. Governments across the region are tightening rules on how subsea cables are approved, constructed and secured. According to the consortium, this shift has prompted earlier engagement with policymakers and a stronger focus on resilience. A Singtel representative said expectations were increasing and that partners must prepare for “technical, political, and environmental stress”.

If completed as planned, the system is expected to add capacity, reduce delay on key routes and ease pressure on long-standing bottlenecks. An Amazon Web Services executive said collaborative projects allow “global know-how and local needs to meet at the right moment”, arguing that such partnerships can speed the development of digital services.

But some officials remain cautious about the expanding role of hyperscale cloud providers in critical infrastructure. Geopolitical tensions also complicate cross-border ventures, raising questions over long-term operational certainty. Supporters of the project contend that diversified and secure data corridors are now essential to protect economic growth and maintain service reliability.

Work on AUG East continues, and regional observers see the venture as a potential template for future builds. Many view it as a significant step that could influence Asia’s connectivity landscape for years to come.