Bifrost Cable System gets regulatory go-ahead
Loops through Indonesia to bypass South China Sea.
Keppel's Bifrost Cable System has received US regulatory go-ahead, making it the first subsea cable connecting Singapore with the US via Indonesia.
Bifrost subsea cable
Spanning over 20,000km, Bifrost Cable System directly connects Singapore to the west coast of the US, with landings in Indonesia and the Philippines.
- Developed with Meta and Telin.
- Ready for Service by 2nd half of 2025.
- Goes to Keppel DC's SGP5 data centre in Jurong.
Keppel is assigned 5 out of 12 fibre pairs, of which 2 have already been committed to customers, according to Singapore Business Review.
From a different direction
Costing US$750 million, Bifrost is expected to enhance Singapore's position as a leading digital hub in Asia.
Bifrost is unique in how it routes through the Java Sea and the Celebes Sea, bypassing the South China Sea entirely. This will give Singapore greater diversity and help it stay connected in the event of potential conflicts around the South China Sea.
Subsea cable systems are typically developed and financed by large consortiums, which makes Bifrost relatively unusual with just 3 partners; each partner will have to underwrite a larger proportion of the cost.
The Lion City currently has almost 30 subsea cables, but it wants to maintain its edge by doubling its capacity for subsea cable landings.