The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has invited telecoms players to submit draft proposals to build a new subsea cable connecting peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak under the Universal Service Provision (USP) framework.
The Sambungan Kabel Dasar Laut MADANI (SALAM) initiative aims to build a 5,582-km subsea cable comprising four segments interconnected by ten landing stations.
According to a statement from MCMC issued on Thursday, the SALAM system will provide geographically diversified connectivity routes to enhance network redundancy, reduce the risk of service disruptions and strengthen Malaysia’s overall communications resilience.
Besides improving connectivity between peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, the SALAM cable will also provide a robust, scalable domestic connectivity backbone to support continued expansion of broadband services and 5G networks, while enabling the growth of cloud infrastructure, data centres, AI technologies and other emerging digital industries.
“As demand for high-speed digital connectivity continues to grow, strengthening this critical infrastructure is essential to ensuring secure, reliable and uninterrupted communications for businesses, government and the public,” the MCMC statement said.
The statement didn’t provide a timeline for draft submission deadlines or construction of the SALAM network.
