The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) announced funding on Monday for a feasibility study of a new trans‑Pacific submarine cable that will link the United States with Thailand and up to five other Southeast Asian nations. The project reflects Washington’s push to expand secure digital infrastructure in the region.
The proposed cable could stretch as far as 18,507 km (11,500 miles) and would connect Thailand to the U.S. via Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam, while avoiding the South China Sea and other routes that pose security risks, according to the agency. It will be built to U.S. engineering standards and is intended to replace Thailand’s aging subsea link to the United States.
The Thailand‑U.S. Submarine Cable System, or Thus, will “strengthen the resilience and diversity of our international networks, support the growth of Thailand’s data‑center, cloud and AI sectors, and expand affordable connectivity,” said Col. Sanpachai Huvanandana, president of the Thai state‑owned National Telecom Public Company.
Facing competition from China, the United States has stepped up its involvement in building subsea cables, which carry the bulk of global internet traffic, in recent years.
