A new subsea cable is set to connect Japan and Singapore.

SoftBank this week announced it is partnering with social media giant Meta, Telekom Malaysia, Japan’s IPS, and Indonesia’s XLSmart for a new subsea cable known as Candle.

The 8,000km (4,970 miles), 24-fiber pair system is set to connect Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Scheduled to begin operations in 2028, NEC Corporation has been contracted as the system supplier.

Chairperson of the Candle management committee, Don Pang (Meta), said: "Candle represents a pivotal advancement in fortifying the region's digital infrastructure. As the need for robust, high-speed connectivity grows, Candle will deliver greater network diversity and resilience along this essential corridor, leveraging state-of-the-art technology. This milestone reflects the deep collaboration among our partners and underscores our shared commitment to advancing digital inclusion and economic opportunity for over half a billion people in the Asia-Pacific region."

In Japan, Candle is set to land at SoftBank’s Maruyama landing station in Minamiboso City.

An accompanying image of the cable route suggests landing points at Toucheng in Taiwan, Baler and Nasugbu in the Philippines, Batam in Indonesia, Tj Sedili near Johor in Malaysia, and Changi North in Singapore.

Kimimasa Kudo, VP and head of the global business division, enterprise unit, SoftBank Corp., added: "With the rapid advancement of generative AI and the Internet of Things (IoT), the demand for international telecommunications is expected to continue accelerating. Candle adopts a 24-fiber pair architecture, making it one of the core foundations of next-generation social infrastructure that SoftBank is promoting. By integrating with other submarine cables such as Jupiter, ADC, and E2A, we will further enhance the diversity and redundancy of global communications networks originating from Japan, and strengthen Japan's role as a digital gateway for Asia.”

Google and Meta’s upcoming Apricot cable is also set to land in Batam, Baler, Toucheng, and Minamiboso. Chunghwa Telecom, NTT, and PLDT are part of the Apricot consortium.

The upcoming Asia Link Cable and Vietnam-Singapore Cable System (VTS) are also set to land in Sedili and Changi.

Batam, a growing data center hub, is a major landing point with more than a dozen domestic and international cables in operation and four more planned to land there. Batam is connected to nearby Singapore via multiple cables, with more planned.

Toucheng is the landing point for four existing cables and three planned systems, including the Orca system from Meta, directly linking the island to the US. Three systems currently link Toucheng to Japan, with two more set to connect the two in the future.

Nasugbu is the landing for a domestic cable from PLDT and the Southeast Asia-Japan Cable system connecting the island to Singapore, Japan, the Philippines, and others.

As well as the upcoming Apricot, Baler is the landing point for Google and Meta’s Pacific Light Cable Network system from 2022, which connects to Toucheng and the US.

As well as the upcoming Apricot, Minamiboso is the landing point for the Japan-Guam-Australia North and Juno systems. Maruyama is the landing point for eight cables, connecting Japan to the US, Australia, and Southeast Asia.