RETN Opens New Taipei-Hong Kong Subsea Route Amid Cable Disruption Risks

RETN has opened a new subsea route between Taipei and Hong Kong, adding another connection to a network facing repeated underwater cable disruptions around Taiwan.

The Britain-headquartered network service provider said the route was designed to strengthen the system and address recurring disruption risks.

RETN said the new route takes its total serving Taiwan to six connections.

Of these, four connect Taipei and Hong Kong, while two link Taipei and Tokyo, the company said.

Reducing exposure to cable disruptions

The move is significant because Taiwan’s international connectivity relies heavily on subsea cables, according to RETN.

“Like many island economies, Taiwan’s international connectivity relies heavily on subsea cables, which creates exposure to risks such as concentration where multiple systems share similar corridors or landing points, alongside ageing subsea cables, natural hazards and fishing activities,” the company said in a statement on September 28.

This means that disruptions affecting underwater cable systems can create wider connectivity risks when several systems use similar routes or landing points.

RETN said its new route aims to address these recurring subsea disruptions while also supporting the rising needs of data-heavy services.

Supporting AI and cloud workloads

The company specifically cited growing demand for data-intensive workloads such as artificial intelligence, cloud and high-performance computing.

By adding the Taipei-Hong Kong route to its existing connections, RETN said it was responding both to infrastructure vulnerabilities and to increasing data requirements.

The company described the new path as part of its effort to make connectivity serving Taiwan more resilient as these workloads expand.

Source: South China Morning Post