Vietnam’s internet connectivity to global networks remains unstable as two key undersea cable systems, the Asia Pacific Gateway (APG) and the Intra Asia (IA), are still experiencing malfunctions.
According to the Vietnam News Agency, while the Asia-Africa-Europe-1 (AAE-1) submarine cable has been fully repaired, the APG and IA cables continue to face technical issues.
The APG cable is suffering from faults on two branches: S1.9, connecting Vietnam to Malaysia, and S8, linking to Thailand. Repairs on the S8 branch are scheduled between January 6 and 10, but no timeline has been provided for the S1.9 branch.
Meanwhile, the IA cable encountered a problem on December 26 on its S1 branch, which connects Vietnam to Singapore. This disruption has severed links between Vietnam and key hubs in Hong Kong and Singapore. International partners have not yet provided a repair timeline for the IA cable.
These disruptions have significantly reduced Vietnam’s international internet bandwidth, causing widespread inconvenience for businesses and individuals.
To address these recurring challenges, Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications has outlined an ambitious strategy for international cable development. By 2030, the country plans to add at least 10 new undersea cables, increasing the total to 15. Additionally, under the national digital infrastructure strategy approved in October 2024, Vietnam aims to launch at least two new submarine cables by 2025 and eight more by 2030.
These initiatives are designed to strengthen Vietnam’s telecommunications infrastructure, ensure consistent connectivity, and boost international bandwidth capacity.
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Source: Vietnam Insider