Telekom Malaysia (TM) has announced its participation in the Candle submarine cable system consortium. The collaboration, which includes industry giants like Meta, SoftBank Corp., IPS Inc., PT XLSmart Telecom Sejahtera Tbk, and NEC Corporation, is set to develop a new 8,000 km undersea cable system that will connect Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. This project is not just a technological milestone but a crucial step toward building resilient digital infrastructure that can support the growing demand for data communications, especially with the accelerated adoption of 5G and AI technologies.
The Candle system is poised to be one of the first in the Asia-Pacific region to use a 24-fibre pair cable, a technical detail that enables superior traffic capacity to handle the explosive growth of data in the region. This robust architecture will not only expand the region’s infrastructure but also secure redundant routes, which are vital for maintaining network diversity and resilience in the event of an outage. The cable’s Malaysian landing station is slated for Tj Sedili, a strategic location that will reinforce Malaysia’s position as a key connectivity hub within ASEAN. The project is scheduled to begin operations in 2028.
TM’s participation strengthens the company’s ability to support hyperscalers, enterprises, and global service providers looking to expand their footprint across the ASEAN region. This initiative aligns with TM’s long-term vision of “connecting Malaysia to the world, and the world to Malaysia,” and is a direct investment in the nation’s digital future. Meta’s involvement also underscores the global significance of the project, with their Director of APAC Network Investments, Nico Roerich, noting that the cable will help them “seamlessly bring people together no matter where they are in the world”.
For consumers, the impact of this new agreement, while not immediately visible, is profound. As more of our daily lives become dependent on digital services—from streaming 4K content and using cloud-based AI applications to online gaming and remote work—the demand for secure and reliable international data transmission is higher than ever. The Candle system will provide greater network capacity and redundancy, meaning a more stable and faster internet experience for everyone. This kind of infrastructure investment is what prevents service disruptions and ensures that a nation’s digital backbone is strong enough to handle future technological advancements. The project is a collective effort by major industry players to strengthen regional connectivity and advance the digital growth of communities and businesses across ASEAN.
