New Batam-Singapore subsea cable to boost Asean digital ties ahead of regional framework pact

[SINGAPORE] The successful landing of the Nongsa-Changi subsea cable in Batam is expected to open up fresh opportunities for Singapore, Indonesia and the wider South-east Asia region, said Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong on Monday (Jul 20).

This is as Asean member states prepare to sign an upcoming digital economy framework later this year to boost cross-border digital trade, data flows and payments across the 10-member bloc.

Speaking at the cable landing ceremony, DPM Gan, who is also minister for trade and industry, said the timing of the project was significant, coming as regional digital cooperation gathers pace.

“As our economies become increasingly digital, digital infrastructure has now become an important foundation to support economic growth,” he said. “That is why projects like the Nongsa-Changi Cable matter.”

The Nongsa-Changi Cable (NCC) is a joint undertaking by Telkom’s subsidiary, PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia International (Telin), together with Singapore-based digital infrastructure firm BW Digital, with support from Nongsa Digital Park (NDP) as a strategic partner.

Spanning about 50 km and equipped with 24 fibre pairs, the cable connects Batam and Singapore through one of the shortest and most direct routes across the Singapore Strait.

DPM Gan said it would provide more than 1.6 petabits per second of additional capacity, with latency of under two milliseconds between the two points.

The NCC is one of two new Batam-Singapore subsea cable systems developed by Telkom Group, alongside the Indonesia Singapore Cable System, as part of the broader Indonesia Cable Express initiative aimed at strengthening international connectivity and Indonesia’s digital sovereignty.

He noted that Singapore and Indonesia bring complementary strengths to such projects. “Singapore brings global connectivity, a trusted business environment, and links to companies and customers around the world,” DPM Gan said.

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As for Indonesia, he pointed out that South-east Asia’s largest economy “brings scale, talent, land for future growth, and significant potential in renewable energy”.

The proximity of Batam, Bintan and Karimun (BBK) to Singapore allows companies to draw on the strengths of both countries, building teams and operations across the two locations while serving customers across South-east Asia and beyond, said DPM Gan.

The ceremony was also attended by Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto; Indonesian Ambassador to Singapore Hotmangaradja Panjaitan; Danantara Indonesia managing director Setyanto Hantoro; and Batam Deputy Governor Nyanyang Haris Pratamura.

Board members from Telkom, Telin, BW Digital and NDP were also in attendance.

Airlangga said the cable would serve as the physical foundation for a new digital corridor between the two countries.

“NCC serves as the physical foundation for a new digital corridor connecting Indonesia and Singapore, while further strengthening Batam’s position as Indonesia’s digital gateway,” he said.

Telkom Indonesia president-director Dian Siswarini said the project reflected a strategic collaboration between the two countries, providing “greater route diversity and enhanced connectivity for Singapore as a regional digital hub, creating mutual benefits for both countries”.

BW Digital chief executive officer Ludovic Hutier said the NCC formed part of the company’s broader digital ecosystem in the region, which also includes the Citra Connect terrestrial fibre network and the 144 megawatt NDP1 data centre campus in Batam.

NDP chief executive officer Mike Wiluan said the cable landing marked more than the completion of infrastructure, describing it as the strengthening of an ecosystem bringing together connectivity, data centres, cloud platforms, AI innovation and digital talent.

The landing comes just a fortnight after Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto met in Jakarta for the annual Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to expand bilateral cooperation and develop BBK into a digital hub, including a joint study on opportunities for the area’s technology sector.

On Monday, DPM Gan said Singapore and Indonesia would continue to work together to identify practical areas for further cooperation.

“Let us continue to deepen our partnership, combine our respective strengths, develop the wider digital ecosystem, and create new opportunities for businesses and people in both our countries,” he said.