Japan-Guam-Australia North (JGA-N): A Submarine Cable Linking Japan and Guam
The Japan-Guam-Australia North (JGA-N) submarine cable is a 2,600-kilometer fiber-optic system connecting
Minamiboso in Japan to
Piti in Guam. The cable is owned by Lightstorm Telecom and has been listed as "in service" since 2020, according to GeoCables records. It is part of a broader network of submarine cables that facilitate high-speed internet and data connectivity across the Asia-Pacific region.
What makes JGA-N particularly interesting is its role in connecting two major hubs in the Pacific: Japan, a global leader in technology and telecommunications, and Guam, a strategic node for trans-Pacific connectivity. However, several technical details about the cable, including its design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, and underlying technology, are not publicly disclosed, leaving room for speculation and limiting the ability to fully assess its performance and capabilities.
Quick facts
| Cable name | Japan-Guam-Australia North (JGA-N) |
| Length | 2,600 km |
| Ready for service | 2020 (GeoCables database value) |
| Owner | Lightstorm Telecom |
| Status | In service |
| Design capacity | Not disclosed |
| Fiber pairs | Not disclosed |
| Supplier | Not disclosed |
| Technology | Not disclosed |
| Landing points | Minamiboso (Japan), Piti (Guam) |
🗺 Show Japan-Guam-Australia North (JGA-N) on the interactive cable map
Route
The JGA-N cable connects Minamiboso, located on the eastern coast of Japan, to Piti, situated on the western side of Guam. Minamiboso is a key landing site for several other submarine cables, including
Apricot,
I-AM Cable, and
JUNO, making it a significant telecommunications hub in Japan. Similarly, Piti serves as a major landing point for numerous cables, such as
Atisa,
Bulikula,
Echo,
HANTRU1 Cable System,
Japan-Guam-Australia South (JGA-S),
PIPE Pacific Cable-1 (PPC-1),
SEA-US, and
Tata TGN-Pacific, highlighting Guam's importance as a trans-Pacific connectivity node.
Why it was built and what it carries
The JGA-N cable was built to enhance connectivity between Japan and Guam, providing additional bandwidth and redundancy for data traffic in the Asia-Pacific region. While specific details about its design capacity and fiber pairs are not publicly disclosed, it is reasonable to assume that the cable was designed to support high-speed internet, cloud services, and other data-intensive applications. Its strategic placement complements other cables in the region, ensuring reliable communication and data transfer across the Pacific.
History: what can be established
GeoCables records indicate that JGA-N was ready for service in 2020. However, if industry sources suggest a different year, this discrepancy could arise from variations in reporting standards, delays in deployment, or differences in defining "ready for service." Without corroborating documentation, the 2020 date remains the most reliable reference point.
Capacity and technology
Publicly available data does not disclose the design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, or specific technology used in the JGA-N cable. While modern submarine cables typically employ dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) technology to maximize capacity, attributing this to JGA-N without operator documentation would be speculative.
Latency: the physics
The computed one-way light propagation latency over the 2,600-kilometer wet segment of JGA-N is approximately 12.7 milliseconds, with a theoretical round-trip time (RTT) floor of 25.5 milliseconds. However, real-world latency measurements are significantly higher due to additional factors such as land-based network segments, terminal equipment, and routing inefficiencies.
GeoCables live measurements, which capture the full internet path rather than the cable itself, report the following latencies:
- Minamiboso -> Piti: Minimum 133.9 ms, average 187.5 ms
- Piti -> Minamiboso: Minimum 36.6 ms, average 145.2 ms
- Singapore -> Piti: Minimum 192.7 ms, average 195.4 ms
- Sydney -> Piti: Minimum 248.2 ms, average 252.3 ms
- Sao Paulo -> Piti: Minimum 279.0 ms, average 282.7 ms
- Almaty -> Minamiboso: Minimum 236.7 ms, average 236.8 ms
These values highlight the complexities of measuring latency across interconnected networks.
Redundancy: what happens if it breaks
In the event of a failure, traffic on JGA-N could be rerouted through other cables landing at Minamiboso and Piti. Alternatives at Minamiboso include Apricot, I-AM Cable, and JUNO, while Piti hosts Atisa, Bulikula, Echo, HANTRU1 Cable System, Japan-Guam-Australia South (JGA-S), PIPE Pacific Cable-1 (PPC-1), SEA-US, and Tata TGN-Pacific. Standard industry practices for submarine cable repair involve deploying specialized cable ships to locate, retrieve, and repair damaged sections, a process that can take weeks depending on the severity of the damage and environmental conditions.
Bottom line
- JGA-N connects Minamiboso (Japan) to Piti (Guam) over a 2,600-kilometer route.
- Owned by Lightstorm Telecom, it has been listed as in service since 2020.
- Design capacity, fiber pairs, supplier, and technology details are not publicly disclosed.
- Computed latency is approximately 12.7 ms one-way, but real-world measurements are higher due to network factors.
- Redundancy is provided by other cables landing at Minamiboso and Piti.