Telekom Malaysia Leads Development of Candle Submarine Cable System
Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) is embarking on a major international collaboration to develop the advanced Candle submarine cable system, which is set to significantly boost connectivity across ASEAN countries to Japan.
This ambitious project involves several key industry players, including global tech giants like Meta, as well as SoftBank Corp, IPS Inc, PT XLSmart Telecom Sejahtera Tbk, and NEC Corporation, forming a powerful consortium.
The Candle system is scheduled to commence full operations in 2028, representing a massive infrastructure upgrade for the region.
It is designed as an 8,000-kilometre (km) submarine cable system, featuring 24 fibre pairs, that will directly connect Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Taiwan.
In a joint statement released today, the project partners emphasized that this high-capacity cable would make a vital contribution to digital infrastructure expansion and ensure secure, redundant data routes.
This increased capacity and resilience are essential to meet the rapidly increasing demand for data communications, which is being driven heavily by the rollout of fifth-generation (5G) mobile networks and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) applications across the Asia-Pacific region.
The partners highlighted a key technological feature: “This cable system will be one of the first in the Asia-Pacific region to use a 24-fibre pair cable, enabling superior traffic capacity to support the growing demand for communications in the region,” ensuring that the cable is future-proofed to handle exponential data growth.
Candle System Delivers Resilience and Digital Opportunity Across Asia
The Candle submarine cable is poised to deliver critical network diversity and resilience across a vital connectivity corridor, utilizing state-of-the-art technology to advance digital inclusion and economic opportunities for hundreds of millions of people in the Asia-Pacific region.
Don Pang, the chairperson of the Candle Management Committee, stressed the strategic importance of the project in meeting the rising requirement for robust and high-speed connectivity.
He stated that Candle will provide greater network diversity and resilience along this essential corridor by leveraging state-of-the-art technology in its design and implementation.
He added that “This milestone reflects the deep collaboration among our partners and underscores our shared commitment to advancing digital inclusion and economic opportunity for over half a billion people in the Asia-Pacific region,” underscoring the project’s massive social and economic impact.
For Telekom Malaysia specifically, participation in this project is a clear demonstration of the company’s strong commitment to building highly resilient digital infrastructure that can adequately meet the surging demand for digital services, cloud-based solutions, and AI-driven innovation across Asia.
The new cable strengthens TM’s ability to provide superior connectivity and high-speed capacity to major hyperscalers, global enterprises, and service providers that are all seeking to expand their operational footprint across the ASEAN region.
The Telekom Malaysia partnership reinforces Malaysia’s strategic goal of positioning itself as a central digital hub within the entire ASEAN community, attracting further investment and data traffic flows.
Telekom Malaysia’s Vision for Digital Leadership by 2030
The development of the Candle cable system is a crucial component of Telekom Malaysia’s overarching strategic aspiration to become a digital powerhouse by 2030, connecting Malaysia to the world and serving as a key international gateway.
TM group chief executive officer Amar Huzaimi Md Deris articulated the company’s clear vision, asserting that “This initiative bodes well with our aspiration to become a digital powerhouse by 2030, connecting Malaysia to the world, and the world to Malaysia.”
The investment in the 8,000-km Candle system, particularly its use of 24 fibre pairs—a superior traffic capacity design— is a tangible commitment to this goal.
By securing robust, high-speed connectivity to major regional markets like Japan, Singapore, and the Philippines, Telekom Malaysia ensures that Malaysia has the necessary digital backbone to support next-generation technologies such as 5G and Artificial Intelligence, which require ultra-low latency and immense bandwidth.
The creation of secure and redundant data routes is also paramount for national digital security and the continuous operation of cloud services, reinforcing Malaysia’s attractiveness as a data centre and digital service location.
The collaboration with major global entities like Meta and SoftBank further cements TM’s status as a key regional partner and a leader in large-scale infrastructure deployment.
Ultimately, the successful launch of the Candle system will enable Telekom Malaysia to play a far greater role in the global digital value chain, driving innovation and economic growth not only for its own business but for the entire nation.
