Esports PH | Keppel Ltd. (Keppel) has announced that the Bifrost Cable System (Bifrost) has officially achieved Ready for Service (RFS) status, marking a major milestone in global digital connectivity. With operations now ramping up, the subsea cable system is preparing to carry commercial traffic across the Pacific in the coming weeks.
A Landmark in Global Subsea Connectivity
Bifrost is the world’s first subsea cable system directly linking Singapore to the U.S. West Coast via Indonesia, crossing the Java Sea and the Celebes Sea. Spanning more than 20,000 kilometers, the system is designed to meet the surging demand for AI workloads, cloud-native platforms, and real-time digital services.
The cable boasts a round-trip latency of just under 165 milliseconds between Singapore and the U.S.—making it up to 10 milliseconds faster than many existing systems. By pioneering a new trans-Pacific route, Bifrost introduces over 260 terabits per second (Tbps) of additional capacity while significantly enhancing the resiliency of one of the world’s busiest digital corridors.
Strengthening Asia’s Digital Backbone
Mr. Manjot Singh Mann, CEO of Connectivity at Keppel, said:
“Keppel is proud to announce that the Bifrost Cable System has achieved Ready for Service status. This landmark project will bolster digital connectivity between Southeast Asia and the USA. The Bifrost Cable System will reinforce Singapore’s position as a leading digital hub in Asia and support the region’s rapidly growing digital economy. We look forward to expanding our subsea cable footprint across Asia and beyond, as an integrated ecosystem partner to global cloud players and technology leaders.”
Keppel holds five of the twelve fiber pairs in the Bifrost Cable System through a 40-60 joint venture with its private fund co-investors. This strategic investment expands Keppel’s position in digital infrastructure and connectivity, aligning with the company’s long-term goal of supporting global cloud ecosystems and data-intensive technologies.
A Route Connecting Nations and Opportunities
The Bifrost Cable System lands in Singapore, Guam, and Grover Beach, California, with branching units extending connectivity to Jakarta and Manado in Indonesia, Davao in the Philippines, and Winema, Oregon in the U.S. This architecture enables dynamic traffic routing and greater interconnection resilience, improving data stability and reducing potential service interruptions across regions.
In the Philippines, Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions, Inc. (Converge) serves as the landing party in Davao.
Mr. Dennis Anthony Uy, CEO of Converge, highlighted the project’s regional significance:
“The Philippines is in a prime location being in the centre of the region, so this critical digital infrastructure – the Bifrost Cable System – is envisioned to support the booming connectivity needs of the Asia-Pacific region and provide an important direct link with the US. This will not only boost the company’s international bandwidth capacity, but for the Philippines, it will mean redundancy and diversity in network infrastructure to power the country’s digital journeys.”
This development places the Philippines at the heart of Asia’s expanding data and cloud ecosystem, enabling faster and more secure international connectivity for businesses, consumers, and digital service providers.
Powered by World-Class Engineering
The construction of Bifrost was carried out by Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN), a global leader in subsea cable development and deployment.
Mr. Alain Biston, CEO of ASN, commented:
“We are very proud to have been selected by Keppel and its partners to deliver this landmark project across the Pacific. Reaching this new milestone is a testament to the hard work of ASN teams working hand in hand with our client to bring Bifrost to Ready for Service.”
ASN’s engineering expertise ensured the project’s success across challenging marine environments, delivering a robust and future-ready subsea system capable of supporting the next wave of digital transformation and AI-driven infrastructure.
Powering the Next Wave of Digital Transformation
With Bifrost now Ready for Service and preparing to go live, the system is expected to play a pivotal role in global data exchange and the continued expansion of Asia-Pacific’s digital economy. The subsea system enhances regional network resiliency, supports low-latency data transmission, and reinforces the digital foundation necessary for AI, cloud computing, and smart infrastructure.
Through Bifrost, Keppel and its partners are not only expanding connectivity between Asia and North America but also driving sustainable, future-proof infrastructure that powers innovation across industries and continents.
About Keppel
Keppel Ltd. (SGX:BN4) is a global asset manager and operator with strong expertise in sustainability-related solutions spanning the areas of infrastructure, real estate and connectivity. Headquartered in Singapore, Keppel operates in more than 20 countries worldwide, providing critical infrastructure and services for renewables, clean energy, decarbonisation, sustainable urban renewal and digital connectivity. Keppel creates value for investors and stakeholders through its quality investment platforms and diverse asset portfolios, including private funds and listed real estate and business trusts.