This week, NTT DATA Group, Sumitomo Corporation, and JA Mitsui Leasing have formed a new joint venture, Intra-Asia Marine Networks Co., Ltd. (I-AM NW), to build and operate a new submarine cable system that will link Japan and South Korea to Malaysia and Singapore.
The 8,100km Intra-Asia Marine Cable (I-AM Cable) will have an initial capacity of 320Tbps and is set to cost roughly $1 billion.
Planned landing sites in Japan are concentrated to improve resilience against natural disasters, with stations proposed in Chiba, Mie, and Fukuoka prefectures, while single landing points are planned in Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea.
“The launch of I-AM NW marks a significant step in strengthening Asia’s digital infrastructure,” explained Yoshio Sato, CEO at I-AM NW. “This project reflects our commitment to delivering reliable, flexible connectivity solutions that empower businesses and drive digital transformation across the Asia-Pacific region.”
Network diagram for I-AM Cable
The new I-AM Cable comes as part of a wave of new high-capacity submarine builds across Asia aimed at easing congestion and meeting growing data flows between East and Southeast Asia. Recently completed projects include the Bifrost cable, linking Singapore and Indonesia to the USA, and Softbank’s Asia Direct Cable that connects China (Hong Kong SAR and Guangdong Province), Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Many more are expected to be completed in the next couple of years, including the Apricot cable, joining Japan, Taiwan, Guam, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore, and the the long-awaited Sea-Me-We 6 cable, that connects Singapore all the way to France.
The system is currently is scheduled to be ready for service in early fiscal year 2029, with additional expansions to the Philippines and Taiwan planned for the future.
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