Largest submarine internet cable system between Japan and US to begin operations end-2024.
The Japan-US cable system is reaching maximum capacity as global internet bandwidth continues to rise exponentially – having tripled since 2017.
Between the rapid growth of the global digital economy and an increasing demand for cloud solutions and lower latency, the undersea internet cable sector is quickly becoming increasingly critical to the global internet infrastructure.
NTT Ltd Japan Corporation, Mitsui & Co Ltd, PC Landing Corp, and JA Mitsui Leasing Ltd have announced the launch of a new company, Seren Juno Network Co., Ltd to build and operate “JUNO” – a new trans-Pacific submarine cable system – that will run between the US and Japan.
Expected to begin operation at the end of 2024, JUNO is expected to be an ideal addition to the undersea cable network and key to supporting the global internet backbone, and further growth in Asia-Pacific countries and worldwide.
According to telecommunications industry analyst firm TeleGeography, global internet bandwidth has risen by 29% in 2021. This growth trajectory is expected to continue upward driven by the deployment of 5G, IoT and edge compute technologies. And with existing Japan-US cables nearing capacity, JUNO is very much needed to meet the increasing demand for global internet bandwidth.
By leveraging its Space Division Multiplexing (SDM) technology, JUNO will consist of 20 optical fiber pairs (40 cores) per cable – a 25% improvement from conventional technology – bringing its maximum capacity to a staggering 350Tbps and taking the crown for the largest capacity among existing cable system between Japan and US.
Offering high resiliency by connecting to two separate landing stations in between Japan and the US – providing additional security and resilience against any potential disturbances due to rough weather conditions, particularly along the coastal areas of Japan – JUNO can also alter the amount of bandwidth to individual branch route according to customers’ evolving requirements, providing unparalleled flexibility and control.
“With the rapid growth of the global digital economy and an increasing demand for cloud solutions and lower latency, the undersea internet cable sector is quickly becoming more critical to global internet infrastructure,” said Takanobu Maeda, President and Chief Executive Officer, NTT Ltd Japan Corporation. “This new subsea cable is the latest joint effort NTT has led in a long and proud history of providing reliable global internet infrastructure.”
Japan, located midway between the US and key Asian markets, has played the important role of “Data Hub” in the Asia-Pacific region. As such, JUNO is expected to be key to supporting the global internet backbone, and further growth in Asia-Pacific countries and worldwide.
