TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Chunghwa Telecom said Thursday it is investing in the Asia United Gateway East cable, a major new undersea route that will enhance Taiwan’s connectivity and network resilience.

At the signing ceremony in Singapore on Wednesday, Chunghwa and its partners unveiled plans for the 8,900-kilometer system, which will land in Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, South Korea, and Japan, per UDN.

Taiwan’s two landing points, Yilan and Taitung, are strategically located away from other cables like SJC2, boosting network diversity and redundancy, per CNA. The system is expected to be completed by 2029.

According to the Chunghwa, the project’s cost will be shared among members based on investment ratio. The company’s contribution exceeds NT$2.4 billion (US$81.5 million), marking one of its largest infrastructure bets.

The new cable also complements Chunghwa’s other investments, such as the APRICOT system along the Philippines’ eastern corridor and the E2A transpacific route signed in March. Together, these systems are expected to form a resilient, high-speed digital corridor.

Chunghwa Telecom Chair Chien Chih-cheng (簡志誠) said the AUG East project aligns with the company’s “sea, land, satellite, and sky” strategy, underscoring the company’s confidence in Taiwan’s future as a regional digital hub.