China bridging digital divide with submarine cables

BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) — Though most people will never see any of the submarine cables that are buried deep in the seabed, they impact many aspects of our daily lives, such as network access as well as internet speeds and costs.

Submarine telecommunications cables are vital to global connectivity and the development of the digital economy. They carry approximately 99 percent of international data traffic, according to the International Telecommunication Union.

Boosted by sci-tech innovation and after years of development, Chinese companies have emerged as key players in global submarine cable equipment manufacturing, construction and maintenance.

To date, Chinese submarine cable installation enterprises have laid a cumulative length of over 70,000 km of submarine cables in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, according to a report on China’s participation in the construction and protection of international communication submarine cables, released on Tuesday by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT).

As of the end of 2024, Chinese enterprises have invested in 17 in-service international submarine cable systems and are participating in several ongoing submarine cable projects, according to the report.

“Chinese enterprises have expanded the global production capacity of these undersea fiber-optic information transmission pipes, and reduced network costs for people and companies in many developing countries and regions,” said Mu Chunbo, a senior engineer at CAICT.

“Similar to the Suez Canal and the China-Europe Railway Express, international communication submarine cables are typical examples of global public infrastructure and important pieces of international civil infrastructure,” he said.

He noted that these cables are vital for nations in the digital era, allowing them to attract investment in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing, to form business models such as those related to e-commerce and telemedicine, and to create jobs.

FiberHome Marine Network Equipment, a Chinese telecom firm, has completed multiple submarine cable construction or upgrade projects in the Southeast Asia region.

China’s HMN Tech has emerged as one of four major global engineering, procurement and construction contractors capable of delivering intercontinental submarine cable systems. The company has cumulatively delivered over 100,000 km of submarine cable systems worldwide, with operations spanning more than 70 countries and regions.

Last year, HMN Tech successfully delivered a cable system project in the Maldives, connecting eight islands with submarine cables totaling 300 km in length. Local telecom operators said the system is important for improving high-speed network coverage and building resilience for the development of the country’s digital economy.

“As the internet has promoted the explosive growth of international data traffic, the capacity and resilience of submarine cable networks need to be enhanced urgently,” said Xu Jiantao, HMN Tech’s president of global sales.

“We uphold technological innovation and transparency to serve our clients, enable more people to share the dividends of the internet, and contribute to the economic development of various countries,” Xu said.