New Taipei-Hong Kong subsea route opened to cut risk and meet AI demand
One of the world’s biggest network service providers has opened a new subsea route between Taipei and Hong Kong to strengthen the system against repeated underwater cable disruptions around the island. Britain-headquartered RETN said the new route would take its total to six serving Taiwan: four connecting Taipei and Hong Kong, and two linking Taipei and Tokyo. “Like many island economies,…
Britain-based RETN has launched a new subsea route between Taipei and Hong Kong, aiming to enhance network resilience and meet rising demand for data-intensive services like AI and cloud computing. The route joins four others connecting Taipei and Hong Kong, and two linking Taipei and Tokyo, making a total of six dedicated routes to the island.
Taiwan's reliance on subsea cables exposes it to risks such as concentration, ageing cables, natural hazards, and fishing activities. RETN aims to minimize disruptions by creating independent international paths, providing greater flexibility and resilience during widespread cable outages. The new route follows existing cables, and RETN monitors them from various locations, using diverse equipment and terrestrial corridors to ensure that issues at one site don't affect all routes.
Despite the fragility of the global network, RETN emphasizes that no evidence suggests Beijing intentionally sabotaged the cables. In 2024, a Red Sea cable disruption caused a significant drop in Asia-Europe-Africa telecommunications, underscoring the need for more diverse and resilient infrastructure.
Written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
