As global reliance on digital connectivity continues to surge, the need for high-capacity, resilient, and secure infrastructure is paramount, especially along critical subsea routes like Europe-Asia. The Asia-Europe corridor supports a vast array of industries, from finance to media streaming, yet existing cable systems are increasingly struggling to keep pace.
In recent years, capacity levels on networks serving Europe-Asia routes have grown significantly, with demand for activated bandwidth often outpacing theoretical maximums. With mounting bandwidth needs, aging infrastructure, and escalating security concerns, it’s time to re-evaluate our approach to connectivity between Asia and Europe.
The Critical Importance of Asia-Europe Connectivity
The Asia-Europe route plays a crucial role in supporting industries globally. The demand for data transfer across these regions has risen steadily, with routes like Europe-East Asia seeing bandwidth use surge to 117 Tbps in 2024, and estimated achieve 34% annual growth rate (source from TeleGeography), fueled by cloud services, digital transactions, and content streaming, as well as the expanding digital economy across both continents.
Meeting these demands means investing in high-capacity, reliable infrastructure. However, without fresh supply and advanced technology, the burden on current infrastructure will only intensify, pushing aging systems to their limits.
Are Current Cables Safer than New Ones?
A common but misguided belief is that new cable systems pose greater security risks than established infrastructure, leading businesses to rely on legacy cables that may no longer meet modern needs. This perception, however, overlooks the reality of data security in subsea systems.
The true security lies not in the physical cables themselves but in the active equipment—such as encryption and network management systems—that manages data transmission.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), while physical cable sabotage poses a threat, the technical challenges of intercepting and tapping subsea data are substantial. The most feasible methods involve targeting land-based facilities, onshore landing stations, or exploiting network management systems rather than the cables themselves. Tapping cables at sea, though theoretically possible, remains technically challenging and unconfirmed in known practice.
The main risks, therefore, lie in cyber threats, where malicious actors could gain access to network management systems. Such control could allow attackers to disrupt, divert, or even terminate data flows—a “nightmare scenario” for businesses dependent on connectivity. These risks underscore the importance of securing the active equipment, where encryption and sophisticated monitoring systems provide the essential protection for data.
The Risks of Outdated Infrastructure
Relying on single-route or outdated infrastructure leaves businesses vulnerable to latency issues, disruptions, and reduced resiliency in the face of geopolitical or natural disturbances. For example, companies in the Asia-Pacific region alone lose around $300 million annually due to connectivity delays and outages, with network interruptions costing some firms up to $300,000 per hour.
Furthermore, as demand for connectivity grows, the strain on these older systems intensifies. By depending solely on legacy infrastructure, businesses risk losing their competitive edge as faster, more resilient solutions emerge. These cables also play a vital role in supporting financial services, as they carry almost £8 trillion in financial transactions every day, highlighting the essential nature of robust connectivity for maintaining global economic stability.
These challenges are not only technical but impact customer satisfaction and brand trust. For every second of delay, businesses risk losing sales, frustrating customers, and damaging their reputation in an increasingly competitive global market. Reliable, high-speed connections have become essential for maintaining operational agility and delivering the seamless experiences customers expect.
Embracing Advanced, Multi-Route Connectivity with Telin
To address these challenges, Telin offers a proactive approach by investing in next-generation subsea infrastructure, with new systems such as the PEACE cable system. This cable system provide critical advancements in capacity, latency reduction, and resiliency for businesses operating along the Europe-Asia corridor.
Spanning over 25,000 kilometres, the PEACE cable enhances connectivity across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Pakistan, and Singapore, including a new extension to the Maldives and Singapore. It’s a critical solution to the growing demand for Asia-Europe bandwidth.
The PEACE cable, offered by Telin, provides ready-now connectivity with extensive capacity to meet today’s growing digital demands. Equipped with state-of-the-art neutral active equipment, it seamlessly connects the rich digital ecosystems of Singapore and France, ensuring reliable, high-speed, and secure data transfer for businesses operating across Asia and Europe
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