What each country and landing point keeps if Far East Submarine Cable System goes down. A calculation from our cable and landing-point database, not a forecast.
Ust-Bolsheretsk, Russia: no other cable lands within 50 km.
On an island this means losing the submarine link; on the mainland traffic can still go over land.
No alerts from our monitoring on this cable in the last 180 days. Events feed →
Counted: other international cables landing in the same country (domestic cables between points of one country are not a way out), other cables at landing points within 50 km, and whether the country has land links. Not counted: cable capacity, operator contracts and satellite. Use as a first look at dependence, not as a statement of what would happen.
Live Performance
14
measurements
6
probes
72
days monitored
230.6
ms avg RTT
0
anomalies
Monitored from 2026-07-11 through 2026-09-22 - live ICMP round-trip time measurements via our monitoring probes. All values below are recomputed daily from raw probe data. ✓ No anomalies detected in the monitored period.
Measurement sources
Probe
Location
Samples
Avg
Min-Max
Last seen
#6410 own probe
Sao Paulo BR
5
360.1 ms
341.9-376.9
2026-09-22
own probe
Almaty KZ
5
161.1 ms
157.9-166.4
2026-09-22
#7062 own probe
Cape Town ZA
1
300.8 ms
300.8-300.8
2026-07-11
own probe
Minsk BY
1
112.3 ms
112.3-112.3
2026-07-11
own probe
Moscow RU
1
100.8 ms
100.8-100.8
2026-07-11
own probe
Saint Petersburg RU
1
108.5 ms
108.5-108.5
2026-07-11
About the Far East Submarine Cable System Cable System
Far East Submarine Cable System: connecting Russia's Pacific coastline
The Far East Submarine Cable System is a submarine telecommunications cable that spans 1855 kilometers along Russia's Pacific coastline. Owned by Rostelecom, one of Russia's largest telecommunications operators, the cable connects three landing points: Okha, Ola, and Ust-Bolsheretsk. It was recorded as ready for service in 2016, according to GeoCables data, and remains listed as in service today.
What makes this cable particularly interesting is its geographical and strategic role. Unlike many international submarine cables that connect multiple countries, the Far East Submarine Cable System serves exclusively domestic purposes, linking remote areas in Russia's Far East region. Despite its importance for regional connectivity, public information about its technical specifications, such as design capacity, fiber pairs, and supplier, is scarce. This lack of transparency limits our understanding of its full capabilities.
Quick facts
Name
Far East Submarine Cable System
Length
1855 km
Ready for Service (RFS)
2016 (GeoCables database value)
Owner
Rostelecom
Status
In service
Design Capacity
Not disclosed
Fiber Pairs
Not disclosed
Supplier
Not disclosed
Technology
Not disclosed
Landing Points
Okha (Russia), Ola (Russia), Ust-Bolsheretsk (Russia)
The cable connects three landing points along Russia's Pacific coastline: Okha, Ola, and Ust-Bolsheretsk. These locations are situated in the Sakhalin and Kamchatka regions, areas known for their challenging geography and sparse population. The route primarily serves to improve connectivity in these remote areas, which are otherwise difficult to reach via terrestrial infrastructure due to rugged terrain and harsh weather conditions.
Why it was built and what it carries
The Far East Submarine Cable System was constructed to enhance telecommunications infrastructure in Russia's Far East, a region that has historically faced connectivity challenges. By linking Okha, Ola, and Ust-Bolsheretsk, the cable provides a reliable communication channel for local residents, businesses, and government operations. It likely carries a mix of data, voice, and internet traffic, although specific details about its traffic composition have not been disclosed.
History: what can be established
GeoCables data records the cable as ready for service in 2016. If there are conflicting industry sources suggesting a different year, they are not currently known or documented. Rostelecom's involvement as the sole owner aligns with its role as a major provider of telecommunications services in Russia. Public information about the construction timeline, supplier, or specific milestones during deployment is not available, leaving gaps in the historical record.
Capacity and technology
The design capacity of the Far East Submarine Cable System has not been disclosed in public sources, nor have details about the number of fiber pairs or the specific technology employed. Without operator documentation, attributing these specifications would be speculative. Submarine cables typically employ dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) technology to maximize capacity, but whether this applies to the Far East Submarine Cable System cannot be confirmed.
Latency: the physics
Theoretical one-way latency for light propagation over the cable's 1855 km length is approximately 9.1 milliseconds, with a theoretical round-trip time (RTT) floor of 18.2 milliseconds. However, real-world latency measurements are higher due to additional factors such as land tails, terminal equipment, and routing.
GeoCables live measurements provide some insight into end-to-end latency for internet traffic reaching Okha, one of the cable's landing points. For example:
Moscow to Okha: minimum RTT of 100.8 ms
Saint Petersburg to Okha: minimum RTT of 108.5 ms
Almaty to Okha: minimum RTT of 157.9 ms
Cape Town to Okha: minimum RTT of 300.8 ms
Sao Paulo to Okha: minimum RTT of 376.9 ms
These measurements reflect the full internet path, not the cable itself, and include routing inefficiencies and additional network hops.
Redundancy: what happens if it breaks
If the Far East Submarine Cable System were to experience a fault, redundancy options would depend on alternative infrastructure in the region. GeoCables data does not list specific corridor alternatives, suggesting limited redundancy for this particular route. Repairs would likely follow standard industry practices, including the use of cable repair ships equipped with specialized tools to locate and fix faults. Given the challenging weather and remote location of the Far East, repair operations could face logistical delays.
Bottom line
The Far East Submarine Cable System spans 1855 km along Russia's Pacific coastline.
Owned by Rostelecom, it connects Okha, Ola, and Ust-Bolsheretsk.
Recorded as ready for service in 2016, with no public disclosure of design capacity or fiber pairs.
Theoretical latency floor is 18.2 ms RTT; real-world measurements are higher due to routing and equipment.
Redundancy options are unclear; repairs would follow standard practices but may face logistical challenges.