Forest Fire in Indonesia Disrupts Submarine Cables, Impacting Southeast Asia Connectivity

Fires in Indonesia

On September 5, 2026, at 23:56 (local time), a large forest fire was recorded in the area of "Green Forest" in Indonesia. The fire spread near several key points of submarine cable infrastructure located within a radius of 500 km from the ignition point. Among them are nodes in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

The fire has already led to a series of anomalies in the operation of submarine cables, which may affect data transmission in this region. As of the publication of this report, the fire continues to spread.

Cables in the Fire Zone

Eight submarine cables are at potential risk in the affected area. Among them:

• INDIGO-West (4600 km, RFS 2019), belonging to AARNET and Google, with a node in Tuas, Singapore (402.7 km from the epicenter).
• MViSTA (RFS unknown), with a node in Pengerang, Malaysia (410.3 km).
• Echo (17184 km, RFS 2025), belonging to Google and Meta, with a node in Changi North, Singapore (411.8 km).
• Link 5 Phase-2 (365 km, RFS 2005), belonging to XLSmart, with a node in Kuala Tungkal, Indonesia (162.7 km).
• Jambi-Batam Cable System (JIBA) (267 km, RFS 2014), belonging to Indosat Ooredoo and Moratelindo, with a node in Kuala Tungkal, Indonesia (162.7 km).
• PASULI (40 km, RFS 2019), belonging to FiberStar and XLSmart, with a node in Muntok, Indonesia (188.8 km).
• Sumatera Bangka Cable System (SBCS) (57 km, RFS 2014), belonging to Telkom Indonesia, with a node in Muntok, Indonesia (188.8 km).
• Thailand-Indonesia-Singapore (TIS) (968 km, RFS 2003), belonging to National Telecom and Singtel, with a node in Batam, Indonesia (376.9 km).

Anomalies on Submarine Cables

Our monitoring system has detected significant deviations in RTT (round-trip time) measurements for three key cables:

• On INDIGO-West, RTT increased from 59.1 ms to 247.4 ms (delta +188.3 ms, exceeding the baseline by 10.1σ).
• On MViSTA, RTT rose from 95.6 ms to 322.2 ms (delta +226.6 ms, 2.5σ).
• On Echo, RTT changed from 202.0 ms to 262.5 ms (delta +60.5 ms, 11.1σ).

The other cables in the risk zone, including Link 5 Phase-2 and JIBA, continue to operate in normal mode, demonstrating the resilience of the infrastructure.

Impact on Internet Traffic

Anomalies on INDIGO-West, MViSTA, and Echo cables may affect internet speed and stability in Southeast Asia, particularly for users in Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Given the strategic importance of these cables for international traffic exchange, there could be delays in data transmission and load redistribution to other routes.

In addition, a fire may affect ground infrastructure, including connection nodes and terrestrial optical fiber lines, which could exacerbate the situation.

Monitoring and Forecasts

We continue to monitor changes in the operation of submarine cables in the fire zone. Special attention is given to cables with recorded anomalies - INDIGO-West, MViSTA and Echo. We are also monitoring the condition of ground infrastructure in affected areas.

In case of worsening conditions, additional anomalies may arise, which we will promptly record and analyze. Stay tuned to updates on GeoCables.com for current information.