Chunghwa Telecom joins consortium to build trans-Pacific undersea cable

Taipei, March 24 (CNA) Chunghwa Telecom Co., one of Taiwan's leading telecom services providers, said Monday that it will participate in an international consortium to build an undersea cable across the Pacific Ocean set to be inaugurated in the second half of 2028.

In a statement, Chunghwa Telecom said it would help build the new cable, the "E2A system," which will span around 12,500 kilometers and connect Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and the United States.

Chunghwa Telecom said that SoftBank Corp. from Japan, SK Broadband Co. from South Korea, and Verizon Business Global LLC from the United States will also participate in the construction project.

SoftBank said in a separate statement that the consortium chose France's Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) to build a state-of-the-art transpacific fiber optic network to boost digital connectivity between Asia and North America.

Chunghwa Telecom said the E2A system will connect major digital hubs in Asia and North America, with landing points in Maruyama (Chiba, Japan), Toucheng (Taiwan), Busan (South Korea) and Morro Bay (California).

Chunghwa Telecom said the surge in demand from growing AI applications and cloud computing has made the need for ultra-high-capacity, low-latency infrastructure more urgent than ever.

The telecom operator said the E2A system marks a major step forward in global communications, offering unmatched performance, scalability, and reliability while incorporating sustainability-driven design principles. It is expected to help boost AI development during the current boom.

Chunghwa Telecom said the E2A system, set to be ready by 2028, will connect with other undersea cables, like the Southeast Asia-Japan Cable 2 (SJC2) and Apricot projects, both under construction.

Once it lands in Taiwan, the country's status as a connectivity hub in the Asia-Pacific region will be further strengthened.

In the statement, Chunghwa Telecom Chairman Chien Chih-cheng (簡志誠) said the company will continue to expand its AI operations by building undersea cables, fiber optic networks and mobile communications, supported by microwaves and satellites, to offer a broader range of services and attract more multinational companies to Taiwan.

Chunghwa Telecom said the E2A system is expected to boost sales and enhance its network connectivity.

In 2024, Chunghwa Telecom posted NT$4.80 in earnings per share, up from NT$4.76 in 2023, marking the seventh consecutive year for the company to report a year-on-year EPS increase.