- NTT Data’s I-AM Cable links Japan with Southeast Asia, strengthening regional digital connectivity infrastructure.
- Submarine cable enhances disaster resilience, boosts Japan’s competitiveness, and supports Asia’s digital ecosystem.
- Advanced WSS and SDM technologies enable flexible bandwidth and high-capacity data transmission.
The Intra-Asia Marine Cable (I-AM Cable) will be a brand new submarine cable system from NTT Data that will connect countries in Asia digitally. The I-AM Cable connects Japan and Malaysia as well as Singapore, but plans also include other areas such as Korea, the Philippines, and Taiwan.
The project is being developed in collaboration with several Japanese partner companies to support the rapid growth of digital infrastructure in Asia.
The I-AM Cable, which originated from Japan, aims to build a new communication environment or ecosystem within the region. In fact, Japan has always been a very important and strategic international data hub because of its position midway between Asia and the US.
According to NTT Data, the proposed system will improve the disaster resilience capability to protect multiple communication paths from three Japanese landing points in Chiba, Mie, and Fukuoka to the Southeast Asia region against natural disasters, one of the primary threats to communication within the region.
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The company added that this project will be an important step in the regional revival of Japan and will be helpful in increasing international competitiveness as well.
The role of submarine cables is becoming increasingly important nowadays as countries are working on building their digital economy and AI capabilities. Currently, submarine cables account for the transfer of 99% of international data, as stated by NTT Data.
The I-AM Cable would harness cutting-edge technological solutions like Wavelength Selective Switching (WSS) capabilities that enable wavelength bandwidth to be adjusted from a distance. It would be equipped with Space Division Multiplexing Technology with capacities that could reach 16 fiber pairs in the cable, With an estimated overall transmission rate of about 320 terabits per second.
It will be in charge of the project from planning through circuit sales, catering to global technology companies and telecom operators. The announcement coincides with plans to develop Fukuoka as an international telecommunications hub.