E2A

Overview

E2A is a transpacific submarine cable system connecting Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States across approximately 12,500 kilometres. The system serves the North Pacific corridor, linking East Asian economies with the west coast of North America. E2A is planned to be ready for service in 2029 and is jointly owned by Chunghwa Telecom, SK Broadband, SoftBank, and Verizon.

Route and Landings

In Japan, E2A lands at three points: Itoshima, Maruyama, and Tomakomai. This distribution across multiple locations reflects the geographic spread of Japan's Pacific coastline.

In South Korea, the cable lands at Busan, a city on the country's southeastern coast that hosts a number of international submarine cable terminations.

In Taiwan, the landing point is Toucheng, located on the island's northeastern coast.

In the United States, the cable comes ashore at Morro Bay, California, on the central California coast.

Ownership and Operators

E2A is owned by four telecommunications companies: Chunghwa Telecom, SK Broadband, SoftBank, and Verizon. Chunghwa Telecom is Taiwan's incumbent carrier, SK Broadband is a South Korean broadband and communications provider, SoftBank is a major Japanese telecommunications operator, and Verizon is a leading United States carrier. The ownership structure aligns with the four countries served by the cable.

Status and Timeline

E2A is planned for a ready-for-service date of 2029. The system is not yet in service at the time of writing.

Regional Context

The North Pacific corridor between East Asia and North America is one of the most active submarine cable corridors in the world, served by several long-distance systems. EAC-C2C, which has been in service since 2002, connects Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan over 36,500 km. E2A at 12,500 km is considerably shorter than many of its regional peers, reflecting a more direct routing across the North Pacific. Recent measurements indicate an average round-trip latency of 134.4 ms through E2A, with a best recorded value of 134.0 ms.

Strategic Role

When it enters service, E2A will provide transpacific connectivity between Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States. With three landing points distributed across Japan and ownership shared among the national carriers of all four countries served, the cable broadens the available termination infrastructure in the corridor and introduces additional transpacific capacity among its consortium members.