Hong Kong’s regional telecoms hub role, 5G mobile plans imperilled by US block of cable system link
- A US government panel moved to stop the first high-capacity, direct fibre-optic cable link between Hong Kong and Los Angeles
- It raised national security concerns over Chinese investment in the Pacific Light Cable Network
Hong Kong’s status as a telecommunications hub in Asia, along with its roll-out of 5G mobile services, could be imperilled by Washington’s move to block a major undersea cable network from linking the city to the US West Coast.
“This is a blow to Hong Kong as a regional telecommunications hub,” said legislator Charles Mok, who represents the city’s information technology sector, in an interview on Thursday. “It will be more and more difficult to have such trans-Pacific cable connections and other systems involving US partners to come to Hong Kong.”
Stretching 12,800 kilometres, the Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN) was to be the longest and first high-capacity submarine fibre-optic cable system between Hong Kong and Los Angeles. This advanced fixed-line network, which bypasses high seismic areas near Taiwan and Japan to avoid service interruptions, is to connect international data centres between the two cities, while providing increased bandwidth to support next-generation mobile applications.
“The recommendation not only hinders the telecommunications development between Hong Kong and the US, it also harms the interests of US investors and entities,” said a spokesman for the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) in a statement on Thursday, adding that the concerns raised by the US committee were unfounded. “We attach great importance to the security and integrity of our telecommunications networks.”
