Link 3 Phase-2: A regional submarine cable in Indonesia
Link 3 Phase-2 is a submarine cable system connecting three landing points in Indonesia:
Ancol,
Mentigi, and
Tanjung Pakis. Owned by XLSmart and listed as in service, this cable spans 342 kilometers and is part of a broader family of systems operated by the same company. While its design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, and specific technological details are not publicly disclosed, Link 3 Phase-2 plays a role in regional connectivity within Indonesia, a country with significant demand for improved telecommunications infrastructure due to its archipelagic geography.
What makes Link 3 Phase-2 particularly interesting is the limited availability of public information about its technical specifications and operational history. Additionally, the cable lands at Tanjung Pakis, a highly interconnected site hosting numerous other submarine cables, including
Apricot,
Echo, and
JaSuKa, which suggests that this cable contributes to a dense regional network. However, its specific role in this ecosystem remains unclear without operator documentation.
Quick facts
| Cable Name | Link 3 Phase-2 |
| Length | 342 km |
| Ready-for-Service Year | 2005 (GeoCables database value; no alternative year surfaced) |
| Owner | XLSmart |
| Status | In service |
| Design Capacity | Not disclosed |
| Fiber Pairs | Not disclosed |
| Supplier | Not disclosed |
| Technology | Not disclosed |
| Landing Points | Ancol, Mentigi, Tanjung Pakis (Indonesia) |
🗺 Show Link 3 Phase-2 on the interactive cable map
Route
Link 3 Phase-2 connects three landing points within Indonesia: Ancol, Mentigi, and Tanjung Pakis. Ancol is situated in Jakarta, the capital city and economic hub of Indonesia, while Mentigi and Tanjung Pakis are located in West Java. The cable's route spans a relatively short distance of 342 kilometers, suggesting that it primarily serves intra-regional traffic rather than long-haul international connectivity.
Tanjung Pakis is a notable landing site due to its hosting of multiple other submarine cables, including Apricot, Echo, and
JAKABARE, which collectively contribute to Indonesia's connectivity with global networks. Mentigi, on the other hand, also serves as a landing point for
Link 4 Phase-2, another system in the XLSmart family.
Why it was built and what it carries
The construction of Link 3 Phase-2 fits into Indonesia's broader need for reliable telecommunications infrastructure to connect its many islands and regions. While specific details about the cable's traffic profile are not disclosed, it is likely that the system supports domestic data and voice communications, as well as internet services. Its relatively short length and intra-regional scope suggest a focus on local connectivity rather than international traffic.
Given the presence of other cables at Tanjung Pakis, Link 3 Phase-2 may also serve as part of a redundancy strategy for domestic routes. However, without operator documentation, its precise role in Indonesia's network architecture cannot be definitively stated.
History: what can be established
The GeoCables database lists Link 3 Phase-2 as ready for service in 2005. No alternative dates have surfaced in publicly available industry sources, so this year is treated as accurate. The cable is part of a larger family of systems operated by XLSmart, which includes
Link 1 Phase-1,
Link 1 Phase-2,
Link 2 Phase-1,
Link 2 Phase-2,
Link 3 Phase-1, Link 4 Phase-2, and
Link 5 Phase-2. This family of systems indicates a coordinated effort by XLSmart to build a domestic network across Indonesia.
Capacity and technology
Publicly available data does not disclose the design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, or specific technological features of Link 3 Phase-2. Without operator documentation or independent verification, attributing these characteristics would be speculative. It is common in the submarine cable industry for such details to remain proprietary, especially for regional systems that may not be marketed internationally.
Latency: the physics
The theoretical one-way light propagation latency over the 342 km wet segment of Link 3 Phase-2 is approximately 1.7 milliseconds, with a round-trip time (RTT) floor of 3.4 milliseconds. This calculation assumes light travels through fiber at speeds between 200,000 and 204,000 km/s. However, real-world latency is higher due to additional factors such as land tails, terminal equipment, and routing.
Live measurements from GeoCables remote probes, which capture the full internet path rather than the cable itself, show significantly higher RTTs. For example:
- Singapore -> Ancol: min 12.4 ms
- Sydney -> Ancol: min 137.5 ms
- Almaty -> Ancol: min 265.9 ms
- Tbilisi -> Ancol: min 219.7 ms
- Minsk -> Ancol: min 193.3 ms
- Sao Paulo -> Ancol: min 346.0 ms
These measurements reflect the full network path, including terrestrial and other submarine segments, and cannot be directly attributed to Link 3 Phase-2 alone.
Redundancy: what happens if it breaks
If Link 3 Phase-2 experiences a fault, redundancy may be provided by other cables landing at Tanjung Pakis, such as Apricot, Echo, JAKABARE, and JaSuKa. These systems collectively form part of Indonesia's dense regional and international connectivity network. Repairing submarine cables typically involves deploying specialized cable ships to locate the fault, retrieve the damaged section, and splice in a replacement. Such operations can take days to weeks, depending on the fault's location and severity.
Bottom line
- Link 3 Phase-2 is a regional submarine cable system connecting Ancol, Mentigi, and Tanjung Pakis in Indonesia.
- Owned by XLSmart, the cable has been in service since 2005, according to GeoCables records.
- Its design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, and technological details are not publicly disclosed.
- Theoretical one-way latency over the wet segment is 1.7 ms, but real-world RTTs are significantly higher.
- Redundancy is likely provided by other cables landing at Tanjung Pakis, although specific arrangements are not documented.