Singtel and PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia International (Telin) today announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop a new submarine cable system connecting Singapore and Batam, Indonesia, under the newly formed INSICA (Indonesia Singapore Cable System) Consortium.
When operational in the fourth quarter of 2026, the 100-km INSICA cable system will support the surge in data centre telecommunications traffic between Singapore and Batam. INSICA will feature a 24-fiber pair subsea cable and two diverse terrestrial cable paths, offering a maximum capacity of up to 20 terabits per second per fiber pair. This will deliver exceptional bandwidth, seamless connectivity and robust network security and enable efficient resource sharing and scalability. The new diverse link provided by INSICA will enhance network protection and reliability, ensuring uninterrupted 24/7 operations for data centres.
Ooi Seng Keat, Vice President of Digital Infrastructure & Services at Singtel, said: “Batam is emerging as a prime location for data centres due to its close proximity to Singapore. With this cable system, we’ll be able to enhance the connectivity between the countries to support the intensive, higher-power density AI workloads of enterprises and cloud companies. The development of the INSICA cable system is yet another step that we’re taking in architecting a hyper-connected, digital ecosystem to serve the long-term demands of the region’s digital future and boost the regional economy.”
Budi Satria Dharma Purba, Chief Executive Officer of Telin, said: “The global submarine cable market is poised for unprecedented growth over the next decade, positioning Batam and Singapore as prime locations for data centre investments. The INSICA submarine cable will address the critical need for data centre interconnectivity among these key strategic locations.” The direct connectivity between data centres will also support the deployment of emerging technologies, such as the Internet of Things, robotics, AI and data analytics, all of which require high bandwidth and low latency for commercial-scale and real-time applications. Southeast Asia’s data centre sector is experiencing rapid growth, driven by advances in AI, cloud computing, e-commerce, IoT, edge computing, and 5G. This growth is attracting a wave of investment from both established players and new entrants.
