FASTER: A Trans-Pacific Submarine Cable
FASTER is a trans-Pacific submarine cable system connecting the United States, Japan, and Taiwan. It spans a total length of 11,629 kilometers and is listed as operational since 2016. The cable is owned by a consortium comprising China Mobile, China Telecom, Google, KDDI, Singtel, and TIME dotCom. While specific details about its design capacity, fiber pairs, supplier, and technology are not publicly disclosed, FASTER is recognized for its role in supporting high-speed data transmission across the Pacific.
What stands out about FASTER is its landing configuration, which includes strategic points in
Bandon (United States),
Chikura and
Shima (Japan), and
Tanshui (Taiwan). These locations are hubs for numerous other submarine cables, making them critical nodes in the global telecommunications network. However, the exact technical specifications and operational details of FASTER remain largely undisclosed, leaving room for speculation about its full capabilities.
Quick facts
| Cable name | FASTER |
| Length | 11,629 km |
| Ready-for-service year | 2016 (GeoCables database value; no conflicting sources surfaced) |
| Owners | China Mobile, China Telecom, Google, KDDI, Singtel, TIME dotCom |
| Status | In service |
| Design capacity | Not disclosed |
| Fiber pairs | Not disclosed |
| Supplier | Not disclosed |
| Technology | Not disclosed |
| Landing points | Bandon (United States); Chikura (Japan); Shima (Japan); Tanshui (Taiwan) |
Route
FASTER connects four key landing points: Bandon in the United States, Chikura and Shima in Japan, and Tanshui in Taiwan. These locations are strategically chosen for their established roles as major hubs in the global telecommunications network.
Chikura and Shima are particularly significant, hosting numerous other cables such as
APCN-2,
EAC-C2C,
Southeast Asia-Japan Cable (SJC), and
Unity. Similarly, Tanshui serves as a landing site for cables like Trans-Pacific Express (TPE) and
Taiwan Strait Express-1 (TSE-1). These shared landing points facilitate redundancy and connectivity across multiple systems, enhancing the resilience of global communications.
Why it was built and what it carries
FASTER was built to address the growing demand for high-speed, low-latency data transmission between Asia and North America. Its owners include major telecom operators and tech companies, suggesting that the cable is designed to support a mix of commercial internet traffic, cloud services, and enterprise data. The involvement of Google, in particular, points to its likely role in underpinning large-scale data center operations and cloud computing services.
History: what can be established
FASTER is recorded in the GeoCables database as having entered service in 2016. No conflicting information from industry sources has been identified, so this date is accepted as accurate. The cable's construction likely involved standard industry practices such as seabed surveys, cable laying, and burial to protect against damage. However, specific details about its development timeline, costs, or challenges have not been disclosed.
Capacity and technology
Publicly available data does not reveal FASTER's design capacity, the number of fiber pairs, or the specific technology employed. Without operator documentation, attributing these details would be speculative. Given its ownership by major telecom and tech firms, it is reasonable to assume that FASTER employs advanced optical transmission technologies to achieve high data rates, but this cannot be confirmed.
Latency: the physics
The computed one-way light propagation time for FASTER over its 11,629 km length is approximately 57.0 milliseconds, with a theoretical round-trip time (RTT) floor of 114.0 milliseconds. This calculation assumes ideal conditions and excludes additional latency introduced by land-based infrastructure, terminal equipment, and routing.
Live measurements conducted over the full internet path show significantly higher RTT values. For example, Bandon to Tanshui measurements ranged from a minimum of 153.0 ms to an average of 167.7 ms. These figures reflect the combined latency of the submarine cable and other network components, including terrestrial links and routers. Notably, any RTT values below the computed physical floor are measurement artifacts and should not be interpreted as cable performance.
Redundancy: what happens if it breaks
FASTER's landing points are connected to numerous other submarine cables, providing redundancy in the event of a failure. For example, Chikura and Shima host cables like Unity and
Southeast Asia-Japan Cable 2 (SJC2), while Tanshui connects to Trans-Pacific Express (TPE) and Taiwan Strait Express-1 (TSE-1). These alternative systems can reroute traffic, minimizing disruption.
Repairing a submarine cable typically involves deploying specialized cable ships equipped with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to locate and fix the fault. Repairs can take weeks, depending on the location and severity of the damage, as well as weather conditions.
Bottom line
- FASTER is a trans-Pacific submarine cable system spanning 11,629 km.
- It connects Bandon (United States), Chikura and Shima (Japan), and Tanshui (Taiwan).
- Owned by China Mobile, China Telecom, Google, KDDI, Singtel, and TIME dotCom.
- Ready-for-service year recorded as 2016; no conflicting dates identified.
- Design capacity, fiber pairs, supplier, and technology are not publicly disclosed.
- Computed latency floor is 57.0 ms one-way, 114.0 ms round-trip; real-world RTT is higher.
- Redundancy is supported by alternative cables at its landing points.