Asia’s Subsea Cable Boom Points to a New Digital Era

Meta’s planned Candle cable reflects surging data demand in Asia Pacific and signals shifts in capacity, resilience, and cross-border connectivity

12 Dec 2025

Asia Pacific’s digital economy is increasingly being shaped beneath the ocean, as technology companies and telecom groups invest in new subsea cable systems to handle surging data flows.

The latest project is Candle, a large subsea cable system announced by Meta alongside regional telecom partners. Due for completion around 2028, the cable would span about 8,000km, connecting Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. If built as planned, it would be among the region’s highest-capacity data routes.

The investment reflects a sharp rise in demand for cross-border data transmission, driven by artificial intelligence, cloud computing and data-heavy video services. Many existing subsea cables were designed for earlier phases of internet growth and are approaching capacity limits.

As a result, Asia Pacific is increasingly viewed as a core global data corridor rather than a secondary market. New systems such as Candle are intended to strengthen resilience and reduce bottlenecks on heavily used routes, while supporting faster growth in digital services.

Industry analysts say ultra-high-capacity cables could also alter market dynamics. Additional supply may ease congestion, influence pricing and encourage closer partnerships between telecom operators, cloud providers and global technology companies.

Cable makers, including Japan’s NEC, have said the industry is moving towards larger and more durable systems, designed to improve long-term reliability and reduce the risk of outages in an environment where downtime carries rising economic costs.

For companies and consumers, the expected benefits include faster speeds, more stable connections and capacity for new applications, provided demand continues to expand as forecast.

However, large subsea cable projects face significant hurdles. They are classified as critical infrastructure and are subject to regulatory approval, national security reviews and complex cross-border governance. Governments across the region are weighing how to balance oversight with the need to support digital growth.

Despite these challenges, Candle has become a marker of broader ambitions in Asia Pacific. The project underscores the region’s push to prepare for sustained data growth and deeper integration, as connectivity becomes a strategic asset rather than a basic utility.