E2A: Trans-Pacific Submarine Cable Connecting Asia and North America
The E2A submarine cable is a trans-Pacific telecommunications system connecting Asia and North America. With a total length of approximately 12,500 kilometers, it links landing points in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the United States. Owned by Chunghwa Telecom, SK Broadband, Softbank, and Verizon, the cable is listed as in service, though its recorded ready-for-service (RFS) year in the GeoCables database is 2029. Publicly available data does not confirm its design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, or specific technological configuration, leaving several aspects of its construction and operation uncertain.
What stands out about E2A is its extensive route and the number of landing points, which include major hubs like
Busan,
Itoshima,
Maruyama,
Tomakomai,
Toucheng, and
Morro Bay. These locations are integral to international connectivity in the Asia-Pacific and North American regions, making E2A a significant corridor for data traffic. However, the lack of disclosed technical details and conflicting information about its operational status and RFS year highlight the challenges of verifying submarine cable data in the absence of operator documentation.
Quick facts
| Length (km) | 12,500 |
| Ready-for-service year | 2029 (GeoCables database; conflicting status listed as in service) |
| Owners | Chunghwa Telecom, SK Broadband, Softbank, Verizon |
| Status | Listed as in service |
| Design capacity (Tbps) | Not disclosed |
| Fiber pairs | Not disclosed |
| Supplier | Not disclosed |
| Technology | Not disclosed |
| Landing points | Busan (South Korea), Itoshima (Japan), Maruyama (Japan), Morro Bay (United States), Tomakomai (Japan), Toucheng (Taiwan) |
Route
E2A spans the Pacific Ocean, connecting six landing points: Busan in South Korea, Itoshima, Maruyama, and Tomakomai in Japan, Toucheng in Taiwan, and Morro Bay in the United States. These locations are strategically chosen to link major economic and data hubs across Asia and North America. Busan serves as a critical connection point in South Korea, while the Japanese landing points provide redundancy and access to the country's extensive telecommunications infrastructure. Toucheng is a key hub in Taiwan, and Morro Bay offers connectivity to the United States.
The cable's route aligns with existing trans-Pacific corridors, where numerous other cables also land, including the
Asia Pacific Gateway (APG),
New Cross Pacific (NCP) Cable System, and
JUPITER. This clustering of cables highlights the importance of these locations for global internet traffic.
Why it was built and what it carries
E2A was built to enhance trans-Pacific connectivity, addressing the growing demand for high-speed data transmission between Asia and North America. The cable supports internet, cloud services, and enterprise data traffic for its owners and their customers. Its landing points in multiple countries ensure broad regional coverage, catering to diverse markets in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the United States.
While the cable's design capacity and fiber pair count are not publicly disclosed, it is reasonable to assume that E2A was designed to handle significant data volumes, given the involvement of major telecom operators like Chunghwa Telecom, SK Broadband, Softbank, and Verizon.
History: what can be established
The GeoCables database records E2A's ready-for-service year as 2029, but the cable is listed as in service. This discrepancy could arise from several factors: the database might reflect an anticipated upgrade or expansion date, or the cable's operational status might have been updated without corresponding documentation. Industry sources do not provide alternative RFS dates, leaving the matter unresolved without further operator confirmation.
Capacity and technology
Publicly available data does not disclose E2A's design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, or specific technological features. Without operator documentation, attributing these details would be speculative. It is likely that the cable employs modern optical transmission systems, but the absence of specifics limits further analysis.
Latency: the physics
The computed one-way light propagation latency for E2A's 12,500 km wet segment is approximately 61.3 milliseconds, with a theoretical round-trip time (RTT) floor of 122.5 milliseconds. Real-world RTT values are higher due to factors like land tails, terminal equipment, and routing.
GeoCables' live measurements, which capture the full internet path rather than the cable itself, show RTTs from Morro Bay to Toucheng ranging from 133.4 ms (minimum) to 159.9 ms (average) over 21 checks. Measurements from other locations, such as Minsk and Moscow, include artifacts where reported RTTs fall below the physical floor, indicating rate-limited ICMP replies from intermediate routers. These artifacts should not be interpreted as the cable's actual latency.
Redundancy: what happens if it breaks
E2A's landing points are shared with numerous other cables, providing redundancy in case of outages. For example, Busan hosts cables like
APCN-2 and Asia Pacific Gateway (APG), while Morro Bay connects to the
Asia-America Gateway (AAG) Cable System and
Southern Cross Cable Network (SCCN). This redundancy ensures that data traffic can be rerouted through alternative systems, minimizing disruption.
Repairing submarine cables typically involves deploying specialized cable ships to locate and fix faults. Repairs can take weeks, depending on the fault's location and weather conditions.
Bottom line
- E2A spans 12,500 km, connecting South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the United States.
- Owned by Chunghwa Telecom, SK Broadband, Softbank, and Verizon.
- Recorded ready-for-service year is 2029, but the cable is listed as in service, creating a discrepancy.
- Design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, and technology are not publicly disclosed.
- Computed RTT floor is 122.5 ms; real-world measurements are higher, with some artifacts below the physical floor.
- Redundancy is provided by numerous other cables at shared landing points.