FLAG upgrades ECHO cable capacity as Chunghwa activates Taiwan-Matsu link and Thailand studies US route
FLAG is deploying Ciena WaveLogic 6 Extreme on its dedicated fiber pair across the more than 16,000-km ECHO submarine cable linking Singapore, Guam, and California, enabling 400GbE and 800GbE services with 1.6 Tbps coherent optics. Chunghwa Telecom activated the 300-km Taima No. 4 submarine cable to Taiwan's Matsu Islands at a cost of about NT$1.4 billion, raising capacity to 1.9 Tbps and adding redundancy after earlier cable failures. Thailand's National Telecom appointed APTelecom to study a proposed Thailand-United States submarine cable, THUS, with USTDA funding covering route, cost, commercial, financing, and regulatory assessments.
FLAG’s ECHO route spans over 16,000 km between Singapore, Guam and California. Using Ciena’s WaveLogic 6 Extreme on a dedicated fiber pair, it will support 400GbE and 800GbE services with 1.6 Tbps coherent optics. ECHO links with FLAG’s India Asia Express, forming a high-capacity corridor across India, South Asia, Southeast Asia and North America.
Chunghwa’s Taima No. 4 runs 300 km from New Taipei City to Dongyin, Nangan and Juguang. Its NT$1.4 billion cost brings Taiwan–Matsu capacity to 1.9 Tbps and adds redundancy after Taima No. 2 and No. 3 failures in 2023 and 2025. Thailand’s THUS study, funded by USTDA, will examine routes, costs, financing, regulation and investment models.
Count words? First para: FLAG’s(1) ECHO(2) route(3) spans(4) over(5) 16,000(6) km(7) between(8) Singapore(9), Guam(10) and(11) California(12). Using(13) Ciena’s(14) WaveLogic(15) 6(16) Extreme(17) on(18) a(19) dedicated(20) fiber(21) pair(22), it(23) will(24) support(25) 400GbE(26) and(27) 800GbE(28) services(29) with(30) 1.6(31) Tbps(32) coherent(33) optics(34). ECHO(35) links(36) with(37) FLAG’s(38) India(39) Asia(40) Express(41), forming(42) a(43) high-capacity(44) corridor(45) across(46) India(47), South(48) Asia(49), Southeast(50) Asia(51) and(52) North(53) America(54). That's 54.
Second: Chunghwa’s(1) Taima(2) No.(3) 4(4) runs(5) 300(6) km(7) from(8) New(9) Taipei(10) City(11) to(12) Dongyin(13), Nangan(14) and(15) Juguang(16). Its(17) NT$1.4(18) billion(19) cost(20) brings(21) Taiwan–Mats
These projects could strengthen international connectivity for households, businesses, cloud providers and AI services across Asia and North America. Matsu residents may gain more reliable communications during undersea cable disruptions, while trans-Pacific capacity upgrades could support lower-latency data flows. Thailand’s feasibility study may eventually improve route diversity, but because it is only an assessment, near-term effects remain uncertain. Carriers, hyperscalers and content platforms are likely to be the earliest beneficiaries. Count: These1 projects2 could3 strengthen4 international5 connectivity6 for7 households8, businesses9, cloud10 providers11 and12 AI13 services14 across15 Asia16 and17 North18 America19. Matsu20 residents21 may22 gain23 more24 reliable25 communications26 during27 undersea28 cable29 disruptions30, while31 trans-Pacific32 capacity33 upgrades34 could35 support36 lower-latency37 data38 flows39. Thailand’s40 feasibility41 study42 may43 eventually44 im