Chinese state-owned telecom companies are developing a $500 million undersea fiber-optic internet cable network that will connect Asia, the Middle East and Europe and rival a similar US-backed project. In light of the technology war between China and the US, this project could pose a risk to the fabric of the internet.Three leading telecommunications companies in China (China Telecom, China Mobile Limited and Unicom) are mapping one of the world’s most advanced and extensive submarine cable networks, people familiar with the project have told Reuters.
China establishes an alternative internet line to the USA
The undersea internet network to be established in this project of China will first connect Hong Kong to the island province of China, Hainan, and then extend to Singapore, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and France and cover the EMEA region. While it is stated that this project will cost 500 million dollars in total, the production of the cable to be laid will be produced by Huawei’s subsidiary company HMN Technologies.
Submarine cables carry more than 95 percent of all international internet traffic. For decades, these high-speed channels have been made by telecom and technology companies that pool their resources to build these vast networks so that data can move seamlessly around the world. But vulnerable to espionage and sabotage, these cables have become a weapon in the escalating rivalry between the US and China.SeaMeWe-6 (Southeast Asia-Middle East-Western Europe-6) of the Chinese-led EMEA project is being built by the US firm SubCom and will connect Singapore to Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and France via half a dozen countries along the route. It is intended to be a direct competitor to another cable called This line was originally planned to be built by HMN Technologies, but the project was handed over to SubCom as a result of pressure from the USA.
double pole internet
In China’s alternative project, a memorandum of understanding has also been signed with France, Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Chinese companies are also in talks with the state-controlled Singapore Telecommunications Limited, known as Singtel, while other countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East have also been called upon to join the consortium.Experts state that the bipolar internet that will occur will not have good results. It is underlined that the economic and commercial effects of this can be quite profound and that insecurity will increase even more. In addition, it is believed that espionage will increase if a bipolar internet network is formed. It usually takes at least three years for large submarine cable projects to move from concept to delivery. It is aimed for Chinese firms to complete the contracts by the end of the year and to have the EMEA submarine network online by the end of 2025.
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