New submarine internet cable to connect US and Singapore: details of $760 million project

The US has approved the laying of the first direct undersea cable to Singapore worth $760 million. According to the plan, its commercial operation will begin in the second half of 2025, writes Bloomberg.

The Bifrost project will be implemented by Keppel, Meta Platforms and PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia International. The new cable system will be over 20,000 km long, connecting the US West Coast to Singapore via Indonesia.

The project was initially scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of last year, but was delayed due to bad weather and problems obtaining permits for laying the cable in Indonesia.

“The project will significantly strengthen Singapore's strategic position as Asia's leading digital hub, and will also support the region's rapidly growing digital economy,” — the report says. 

Singapore plans to double its undersea cable capacity as it seeks to maintain its status as the hub of systems that power nearly all of the world's internet. The island nation is also considering investing up to S$12 billion in new, green data centers. 

Bifrost will be the first undersea cable system connecting Southeast Asia to the United States to receive approval in eight years.