Batam Sarawak Internet Cable System (BaSICS)

Batam Sarawak Internet Cable System (BaSICS): A regional submarine cable linking Indonesia and Malaysia

The Batam Sarawak Internet Cable System (BaSICS) is a submarine telecommunications cable connecting Batam, Indonesia, to Kuching, Malaysia. Spanning 762 kilometers, the system is owned by Irix Sdn Bhd and was recorded in the GeoCables database as being ready for service in 2021. It is listed as currently in service, providing connectivity between these two strategic locations in Southeast Asia. What makes BaSICS particularly interesting is the lack of publicly disclosed details regarding its design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, and underlying technology. While such information is often shared for major cables, the absence of these specifics for BaSICS leaves room for speculation about its technical capabilities and market positioning. Additionally, latency measurements from remote probes highlight discrepancies between theoretical physics and real-world internet routing, underscoring the complexity of measuring submarine cable performance.

Quick facts

Cable name	Batam Sarawak Internet Cable System (BaSICS)
Length	762 km
Ready-for-service year	2021 (GeoCables database value; alternative years not surfaced in public sources)
Owner	Irix Sdn Bhd
Status	In service
Design capacity	Not disclosed
Fiber pairs	Not disclosed
Supplier	Not disclosed
Technology	Not disclosed
Landing points	Batam (Indonesia), Kuching (Malaysia)

Show Batam Sarawak Internet Cable System (BaSICS) on the interactive cable map

Route

BaSICS connects Batam, an Indonesian island near Singapore, to Kuching, the capital of Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo. Batam is a major hub for submarine cables, hosting numerous systems such as Apricot, Asia Connect Cable-1 (ACC-1), and the Batam Singapore Cable System (BSCS). Kuching, while less saturated, is also a landing point for cables like SEA-H2X and Sistem Kabel Rakyat 1Malaysia (SKR1M). The corridor between Batam and Kuching is strategically important for regional connectivity, bridging the Indonesian archipelago with East Malaysia.

Why it was built and what it carries

BaSICS was likely built to improve connectivity between Indonesia and Malaysia, enabling faster and more reliable internet and data transfer between the two countries. The cable supports regional telecommunications and data services, but without disclosed design capacity or fiber pair information, its exact role in the broader network infrastructure remains unclear. It may serve as an alternative route or redundancy for other systems in the region, particularly those connecting Batam to Singapore and Malaysia.

History: what can be established

The GeoCables database records BaSICS as being ready for service in 2021. No conflicting dates have been identified in publicly available sources, suggesting this timeline is accurate. However, details about the cable's construction, deployment, and commissioning process have not been disclosed, leaving gaps in its historical narrative.

Capacity and technology

Publicly available sources do not disclose the design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, or technology of BaSICS. Without operator documentation, attributing specific figures would be speculative. The cable likely employs standard submarine cable technologies, such as Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM), but this cannot be confirmed without further information.

Latency: the physics

The theoretical one-way light propagation latency for BaSICS, based on its 762 km length, is approximately 3.7 milliseconds. This translates to a round-trip time (RTT) floor of roughly 7.5 milliseconds for the wet segment alone, assuming light travels at 200,000 to 204,000 km/s in optical fiber. Real-world latency will be higher due to land tails, terminal equipment, and routing. Remote probe measurements reveal significant deviations from the theoretical floor. For example:

• Kuching -> Batam: min 63.7 ms, avg 106.2 ms (over 231 checks)
• Batam -> Kuching: min 4.0 ms, avg 21.7 ms (over 212 checks)

The 4.0 ms minimum for Batam -> Kuching is flagged as a measurement artifact, as it falls below the physical latency floor of 7.5 ms. Such anomalies are typically caused by rate-limited ICMP replies from intermediate routers and should not be interpreted as real cable performance.

Redundancy: what happens if it breaks

If BaSICS experiences a fault, redundancy is available through other cables landing at Batam and Kuching. Batam hosts numerous systems, including the Batam Singapore Cable System (BSCS) and Apricot, while Kuching is connected to SEA-H2X and SKR1M. Standard industry practices for submarine cable repair include deploying specialized cable ships to locate and fix faults, often involving weeks of downtime depending on the severity and location of the damage.

Bottom line

• BaSICS connects Batam, Indonesia, to Kuching, Malaysia, spanning 762 km.
• Owned by Irix Sdn Bhd, it was recorded as ready for service in 2021.
• Key technical details, including design capacity and fiber pairs, are not publicly disclosed.
• Theoretical latency floor is 7.5 ms RTT for the wet segment, but real-world measurements are significantly higher.
• Redundancy is available through other cables landing at Batam and Kuching.