The Asia Direct Cable (ADC) officially began operations in early April 2025, becoming the largest-capacity subsea cable system serving Vietnam. Boasting a maximum transmission capacity of 50 Tbps, the ADC surpasses the combined bandwidth of the five existing international submarine cables connected to Vietnam, representing a major leap in the country’s digital infrastructure.
The cable’s landing site is Quy Nhon and was launched by Viettel Networks, a subsidiary of Viettel Group. The project involved a total investment of USD 290 million and was carried out in partnership with nine prominent telecom companies: Viettel (Vietnam); SoftBank (Japan); Tata (India); Singtel (Singapore); China Telecommunications Corporation, China Telecom Global, China Unicom (China); National Telecom (Thailand); and PLDT (Philippines). Viettel is the only Vietnamese investor and implementer of the project.
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Connecting Asia’s Internet Hubs
Covering 9,800 kilometers, the ADC is Vietnam’s first subsea cable to directly connect with Asia’s three largest internet hubs: Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan, significantly boosting global connectivity.
Boasting a capacity of 50 Tbps, ADC not only holds the title of the highest-capacity cable in Vietnam but also delivers bandwidth 125% higher than the combined total of Vietnam’s five existing international systems (IA, AAE-1, APG, AGG, SMW-3). It also offers improved transmission speed and performance over older cables.
In the short term, Viettel plans to leverage part of ADC’s capacity to expand international connectivity, address rising data demands, and enhance the digital experience for users. The cable also bolsters Vietnam’s redundancy and network resilience by diversifying international routes and minimizing service disruptions caused by subsea cable issues.
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A Next-Generation Vision
Beyond increased speed and capacity, ADC is designed to support next-generation digital services requiring high bandwidth and low latency, including artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, big data, and immersive augmented/ virtual reality (AR/VR) technologies.
Viettel Networks oversaw the cable’s construction and continues to manage operations at the Quy Nhon landing station. It is also in charge of all global telecom and IT infrastructure under Viettel Group.
On June 14, 2024, the Ministry of Information and Communications endorsed Vietnam’s International Optical Cable System Development Strategy to 2030, with a vision extending to 2035. The strategy highlights the critical importance of international subsea cables to Vietnam’s digital infrastructure and emphasizes the need for advanced investment to ensure ultra-fast and reliable global connectivity, contributing to the development of regional digital hubs.
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The government’s objectives include attaining full autonomy in building, managing, and maintaining cable systems, while ensuring secure and uninterrupted internet access that supports national digital transformation, economic development, and defense.
The strategy prioritizes state-owned enterprises to lead deployments, while encouraging collaboration with both local and international investors to drive rapid advancements in digital connectivity. By 2035, Vietnam plans to elevate its international cable network to rank among the best in Asia in terms of scale, capacity, and performance, positioning the country to attract major data centers and cloud service providers (CSPs).
The long-term vision includes making Vietnam a key node in regional and global data traffic, enabling selected urban centers to grow into major digital hubs and accelerating digital economic and societal progress. By 2030, Vietnam plans to deploy at least 10 new submarine cable systems using the latest technologies, bringing the total to a minimum of 15 systems with a combined capacity of at least 350 Tbps. Of these, at least two cables will be entirely owned by Vietnamese entities and directly connected to major regional digital centers.
