Bifrost Cable System has reached Ready for Service (RFS) status, setting the stage for commercial traffic to flow across its new trans-Pacific route in the coming weeks. Spanning more than 20,000 km, Bifrost becomes the first subsea system to directly connect Singapore to the U.S. West Coast via Indonesia, crossing the Java Sea and Celebes Sea. The system is engineered for AI workloads, cloud-native platforms, and latency-sensitive services, delivering a round-trip latency of under 165 milliseconds between Singapore and the U.S.—roughly 10 milliseconds faster than many existing routes.
With more than 260 Tbps of new capacity, Bifrost significantly strengthens one of the world’s busiest digital corridors while enhancing network diversity and resiliency. Keppel holds five of Bifrost’s 12 fiber pairs through a joint venture with private fund co-investors. The system lands in Singapore, Guam, and Grover Beach, California, with branching units extending to Jakarta and Manado in Indonesia, Davao in the Philippines, and Winema, Oregon. This design enables dynamic traffic routing and wider regional interconnection. Converge ICT serves as the landing party in Davao, providing the Philippines with added redundancy and direct U.S. connectivity.
Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) built Bifrost, which is now positioned to support the Asia-Pacific region’s accelerating demand for digital infrastructure. “The Bifrost Cable System will reinforce Singapore’s position as a leading digital hub in Asia and support the region’s rapidly growing digital economy,” said Manjot Singh Mann, CEO, Connectivity at Keppel.
• First subsea cable directly linking Singapore and U.S. West Coast via Indonesia
• 20,000 km system with over 260 Tbps capacity
• Round-trip latency Singapore–U.S. under 165 ms, ~10 ms faster than existing routes
• 12 fiber pairs, with Keppel assigned five through a JV structure
• Landings in Singapore, Guam, Grover Beach (CA), Jakarta, Manado, Davao, and Winema (OR)
• Constructed by Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN)
🌐 Analysis: Bifrost’s launch marks a major milestone in trans-Pacific connectivity, adding both capacity and route diversity for hyperscalers and telecom operators. By establishing a new path through Indonesia, it reduces latency while expanding access across Southeast Asia. The system reinforces Singapore’s role as a digital hub while complementing other major trans-Pacific projects such as Echo, Apricot, and Hawaiki Nui, all of which are being positioned to carry the surging load from AI-driven traffic and cloud services.
Trans-Pacific Systems — Key Technical Snapshot
Bifrost in context with Echo, Apricot (intra-Asia), and Hawaiki Nui.
| System | Status | Path | Technical Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bifrost | RFS (Oct 2025) ~165 ms SG↔US RTT | Singapore ⇄ Guam ⇄ California Branches: Winema (OR), Jakarta, Manado, Davao | 20,200 km • 12 FP (SDM) ~260 Tbps total • 10.4–15 Tbps/FP Supplier: ASN |
| Echo | Planned (~2025–2026) | Singapore ⇄ Guam ⇄ Eureka, California | ~16,500 km • 12 FP (SDM) ~144–288 Tbps total • ~12 Tbps/FP Supplier: SubCom |
| Apricot | Ramping (2024–2025) | Japan ⇄ Taiwan ⇄ Philippines ⇄ Guam ⇄ Indonesia ⇄ Singapore | Intra-Asia • 12 FP (SDM) ~190–211 Tbps total • ~17.6 Tbps/FP Supplier: SubCom |
| Hawaiki Nui | Planned (~2026) | NZ ⇄ Australia ⇄ Indonesia ⇄ Singapore ⇄ United States | ~22,000–26,000 km • SDM design ~240 Tbps total • FP count TBD Supplier: TBD |
Notes: Publicly disclosed targets; totals may rise with terminal upgrades (400G→800G). Latency varies by POP routing.
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