Vietnam launches first locally-funded international cable line

The 3,900-kilometer land-based network traverses five countries, including Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.

It connects VNPT’s technical hub in Da Nang City, central Vietnam to major data centers across the region, including IDC Telehouse in Thailand, MY01 Cyberjaya and Equinix JH01 Johor Bahru in Malaysia, and Equinix and Global Switch in Singapore.

The VSTN cable represents VNPT’s strategic move toward mastering end-to-end connectivity – from land to space.

It is the first direct land cable linking Vietnam to Singapore.

The link marked a pioneering step in telecommunications infrastructure and reflected Vietnam’s national strategy to proactively develop secure, flexible, and resilient digital connectivity.

With the launch of the VSTN, VNPT is expanding its transmission ecosystem to include multimodal infrastructure – land-based, undersea, and satellite.

“Vietnam’s telecom infrastructure has become digital infrastructure – the backbone of the digital economy. Therefore, its safety and sustainability are key factors," Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung told the launch ceremony.

“It’s essential to develop multiple undersea cable routes in different directions, and especially to have land-based cables which offer faster recovery in the event of disỉuptions."

He also pointed out that for nearly 30 years, Vietnam had not had a fully Vietnamese-invested international cable.

“With a bold and proactive spirit, VNPT has rapidly deployed the country’s first international land cable route, fully developed by a Vietnamese firm," Hung said

He expressed hope that other local carriers would follow suit and invest in additional international cable projects with Vietnamese ownership.

The operation of the VSTN cable will significantly help reduce Vietnam’s reliance on undersea cable systems which have recently experienced frequent and prolonged outages, disrupting Internet services and international connectivity.