SINGAPORE: On Friday, Jan 25, Keppel announced that its Bifrost Cable System received regulatory approval from the United States Federal Communications Commission (USFCC). This approval clears the way for the world’s first direct link between Singapore and the west coast of North America via Indonesia through the Java Sea and Celebes Sea.
The Bifrost Cable System, developed in partnership with Edge Cable Holdings (Meta) and Telekomunikasi Indonesia International (Telin), will cover over 20,000 kilometres when completed in the second half of 2025.
Keppel explained that a subsea cable landing licence is required before a submarine cable can connect the United States to any foreign country. The USFCC’s approval is the final step in a lengthy regulatory process, allowing Bifrost’s deployment to proceed.
Keppel began commissioning Bifrost on Jan 21. The system is set for commercial service in the second half of 2025 (H2 2025). The cable landing station in Singapore will be at Keppel DC REIT’s SGP 5 data centre in Jurong.
Keppel started the Bifrost project in March 2021 with Meta and Telin, responsible for five of the 12 fibre pairs, contributing US$350 million (S$471 million). The five fibre pairs are shared between Keppel and its private fund co-investors in a 40-60 joint venture, as reported by The Edge Singapore.
Two of these pairs have been allocated to customers under 25-year Indefeasible Rights of Use (IRU), and discussions with potential customers about the remaining three fibre pairs are ongoing.
Loh Chin Hua, CEO of Keppel, said that receiving approval from the USFCC is a significant step for the Bifrost project. He explained that completing the project in 2025, thanks to strong partnerships with Meta and Telin, will strengthen Keppel’s “connectivity strategy” as it works towards becoming a key player in digital infrastructure.
“This includes developing and operating other subsea cables linking Southeast Asia with the rest of Asia and beyond,” he added. /TISG
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