Tokyo, Jan. 15 -- Three Japanese conglomerates are setting up a joint venture, Intra-Asia Marine Networks, to build and operate a subsea cable connecting Japan with Malaysia and Singapore, amid rising demand for international data capacity driven by the development of artificial intelligence (AI).
NTT Data, Sumitomo Corp. and JA Mitsui Leasing announced on January 13 that the 8,100-kilometre Intra-Asia Marine (I-AM) fibre-optic cable, expected to cost around 150 billion JPY (about 1 billion USD), will be operational by early fiscal year 2029, with plans to expand to the Republic of Korea and the Philippines. The cable will have a total capacity of 320 Tbit/s.
Intra-Asia Marine Networks CEO Yoshio Sato said the joint venture marks "a signi...