- A consortium led by Meta and SoftBank launches the Candle submarine cable system to connect six Asia-Pacific economies with 24 fibre pairs.
- The project aims to increase network resilience, reduce latency and support surging demand from 5G, AI and cloud services.
What happened: Candle submarine cable system announced
Meta, SoftBank, IPS, TM Technology Services, PT XLSmart Telecom Sejahtera, and NEC are collaborating on a new international subsea cable system called Candle, which will connect Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. The cable will be 8,000 km long, feature twenty-four fibre pairs, and is scheduled to come online in 2028.
SoftBank will act as the landing party in Japan. It will use the SoftBank Maruyama Landing Station in Minamiboso, Chiba Prefecture. Additional cable landing stations will be built in Tomakomai, Hokkaido, and Itoshima, Kyushu. Don Pang, Chairperson of the Candle Management Committee (Meta), said Candle represents a pivotal advancement in fortifying the region’s digital infrastructure. It will deliver greater network diversity and resilience along this essential corridor, leveraging state-of-the-art technology. Kimimasa Kudo, Vice President and Head of the Global Business Division, Enterprise Unit at SoftBank, highlighted growing demand driven by generative AI and IoT. He noted that Candle will be integrated with other submarine cables such as JUPITER, ADC, and E2A. This integration enhances redundancy for communications originating from Japan.
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Why it’s important
Asia-Pacific is one of the fastest-growing regions for data, driven by cloud computing, AI applications, and the expansion of 5G networks. Existing submarine cables are often constrained by capacity or architecture—with typical fibre-pair counts around sixteen to twenty. Candle‘s 24 fibre pair design significantly increases throughput and allows for lower latency and higher redundancy.
Japan’s landing stations are geographically dispersed. This enhances disaster resilience. SoftBank has stations in Maruyama, Tomakomai, and Itoshima. If one route fails, others can maintain service. For Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia, the cable adds international backbone capacity. This is critical for edge cloud and real-time services. AI models and data demands are surging, so infrastructure must scale. Candle fills capacity gaps and provides a resilient corridor amid climate risks and geopolitical tensions. Through this joint venture, the partners signal that multi-stakeholder collaboration is essential for future-ready digital infrastructure.
