US-Backed Southeast Asia Cable Supplier Choice Expected

The U.S.-backed MViSTA undersea cable project plans to connect Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand with a 2,500-kilometer link expected to begin service in late 2028 at an estimated cost of $400 million. Developers are choosing between Japan’s NEC and France’s Alcatel Submarine Networks, after excluding Chinese suppliers and routing the cable to avoid areas of the South China Sea claimed by Beijing. The project is intended to strengthen regional digital connectivity and reduce Vietnam’s vulnerability to recurring cable outages; it is also expected to support a planned data-center campus in southern Vietnam. The initiative reflects U.S.-China technology competition as Vietnam seeks to balance its relationships with both countries.