Introduction

Control over the undersea domain has long been a strategic imperative, but in recent years, the significance of submarine communication cables has surged, reshaping geopolitical dynamics both below and above water. The global economy’s increasing reliance on digital infrastructure has driven a rapid expansion of submarine cable networks, with profound implications for strategic and economic security.

Historically, three submarine cable companies – SubCom (originally part of Bell Labs in the United States), Alcatel Submarine Networks, Inc. (France),

and NEC Corporation (Japan) – dominated the subsea cable market. However, since 2008, China’s HMN Tech has expanded globally, offering competitively priced infrastructure solutions, particularly to countries in the Global South. The entry of other Chinese firms into the market, especially through Beijing’s Digital Silk Road(DSR) initiative, has further altered the submarine cable manufacturing and funding landscape, appealing to nations seeking to bridge the digital divide.4 However, this shift has raised concerns about strategic digital dependencies, particularly in regions where the intensifying US-China technological competition is viewed as a strategic dilemma for middle powers and island countries.

Nowhere is this dynamic more pronounced than in Southeast Asia, the world’s fastest-growing digital market. With more than 125,000 new users joining the digital economy every day, the region’s monthly data consumption is expected to triple from 9.2 GB in 2020 to 28.9 GB per user by 2025. Submarine cables, which carry around 99 per cent of all international data, are a crucial yet under-secured part of Southeast Asia’s digital and economic architecture. Yet, the strategic importance of Southeast Asia’s digital infrastructure is complicated by its geopolitical context.

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