- TIME dotCom deploys Ciena optical networking technology to deliver 1Tb/s transmission across the FASTER subsea cable
- Upgrade highlights growing demand for high-capacity international routes linking Asia and the United States
What happened: Boosting trans-Pacific capacity
Malaysian telecommunications provider TIME dotCom has achieved 1Tb/s data transmission across the FASTER subsea cable system using optical networking technology from Ciena, marking a significant increase in trans-Pacific backbone capacity.
The milestone was announced in March 2026 and builds on TIME’s strategy to strengthen its international network between Asia and North America. According to Ciena, the deployment uses the company’s coherent optical technology to enable 1Tb/s wavelength transmission across the FASTER cable route.
The FASTER subsea cable system connects Japan to the United States and is one of the key trans-Pacific digital corridors linking Asia’s data centres with North American cloud infrastructure. TIME operates capacity on the cable as part of its broader international connectivity portfolio.
By upgrading the system with Ciena’s high-capacity optical transport platform, the operator is able to significantly increase throughput on existing fibre infrastructure without deploying new cables. According to the companies, the achievement demonstrates how advances in coherent optics are enabling step-changes in subsea network performance.
TIME dotCom, headquartered in Malaysia, provides global connectivity and wholesale services across Asia-Pacific and beyond. The company has increasingly focused on strengthening international backbone routes that support hyperscale cloud providers, content platforms and enterprise networks.
The new 1Tb/s transmission capability is expected to support growing data flows between Asia and North America, particularly as cloud computing, AI workloads and streaming traffic drive rising demand for international bandwidth.
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Why it’s important
The milestone reflects a broader transformation underway in global subsea networks, where operators are using advanced optical technologies to dramatically increase capacity on existing cable systems.
International internet traffic continues to grow rapidly, fuelled by hyperscale cloud infrastructure, artificial intelligence workloads and cross-border digital services. Subsea cables carry more than 95% of intercontinental internet traffic, making them critical infrastructure for the global digital economy.
For regional carriers such as TIME dotCom, upgrading optical transmission technology provides a cost-effective way to expand capacity without the multi-billion-dollar expense of laying new cables. Financially, this reflects a common telecom strategy: extending the economic life of existing infrastructure through technology upgrades rather than physical expansion.
The Asia-Pacific region in particular has seen rapid growth in international data demand as cloud providers expand data centre footprints in Japan, Southeast Asia and the United States. High-capacity routes across the Pacific have therefore become strategic assets for both telecom operators and hyperscale platforms.
TIME’s 1Tb/s milestone illustrates how the backbone of the internet is quietly evolving. As coherent optics continue to advance, the capacity of subsea systems can increase dramatically, reshaping the scale and resilience of global connectivity.
