E2A

E2A: A Planned Trans-Pacific Submarine Cable

The E2A submarine cable is a planned trans-Pacific telecommunications system connecting East Asia and the United States. With a total length of 12,500 km, it is set to link multiple landing points in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the United States. The cable is jointly owned by Chunghwa Telecom, SK Broadband, Softbank, and Verizon, and is expected to be ready for service (RFS) in 2029, according to GeoCables database records. As of now, no traffic is carried by E2A, as it remains in the planning phase. What stands out about E2A is its ambitious geographical reach and its potential role in enhancing connectivity between East Asia and North America. However, several technical details-including its design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, and technology-remain undisclosed in public sources, leaving room for speculation about its ultimate capabilities and configuration.

Quick facts

Name	E2A
Length	12,500 km
Ready for Service (RFS)	2029 (GeoCables database)
Owners	Chunghwa Telecom, SK Broadband, Softbank, Verizon
Status	Planned - Not yet in operation
Design Capacity	Not disclosed
Fiber Pairs	Not disclosed
Supplier	Not disclosed
Technology	Not disclosed
Landing Points	Busan (South Korea), Itoshima (Japan), Maruyama (Japan), Morro Bay (United States), Tomakomai (Japan), Toucheng (Taiwan)

🗺 Show E2A on the interactive cable map

Route

E2A will connect six landing points: Busan in South Korea; Itoshima, Maruyama, and Tomakomai in Japan; Toucheng in Taiwan; and Morro Bay in the United States. This route spans the Pacific Ocean, linking key hubs in East Asia to California. The choice of these landing points suggests an emphasis on connecting major economic centers and telecom hubs, as well as integrating with existing cable systems to enhance redundancy and capacity.

Why it was built and what it carries

The E2A cable is being developed to meet the growing demand for high-speed data transmission between East Asia and North America. With the increasing reliance on cloud computing, video streaming, and other bandwidth-intensive applications, the cable aims to provide additional capacity and lower latency for trans-Pacific communications. Once operational, it is expected to support the needs of telecom operators, internet service providers, and large-scale enterprises.

History: what can be established

According to GeoCables data, E2A is scheduled to become ready for service in 2029. However, as the cable is still in its planning phase, there is limited public information about its development timeline. Industry sources have not yet suggested an alternative RFS date, but delays are not uncommon in submarine cable projects due to permitting, environmental concerns, and logistical challenges. Any updates to the timeline will need to be confirmed by the cable's owners.

Capacity and technology

Publicly available information does not disclose the design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, or specific technology of the E2A cable. Without documentation from the operators, it is not possible to reliably estimate these parameters. However, given the involvement of major telecom companies like Chunghwa Telecom, SK Broadband, Softbank, and Verizon, it is likely that E2A will employ state-of-the-art technology to maximize bandwidth and efficiency.

Latency: the physics

The theoretical one-way light propagation latency for the E2A cable, calculated over its 12,500 km length, is approximately 61.3 ms. This corresponds to a round-trip time (RTT) floor of 122.5 ms for the wet segment alone, assuming light travels through fiber at speeds between 200,000 and 204,000 km/s. Real-world latency will be higher due to additional factors such as land-based network segments, terminal equipment, and routing inefficiencies. Live latency measurements recorded by GeoCables probes do not reflect the cable itself, as E2A is not yet operational. Some recorded values, such as 25.3 ms from Minsk to Morro Bay and 36.0 ms from Moscow to Morro Bay, fall below the theoretical RTT floor and are artifacts caused by rate-limited ICMP replies from intermediate routers. These values should not be interpreted as indicative of the cable's future performance.

Redundancy: what happens if it breaks

E2A will land at sites already hosting multiple active submarine cables, such as Busan, Maruyama, Morro Bay, and Toucheng. These locations are part of well-established cable corridors, providing redundancy through alternative systems like the Asia Pacific Gateway (APG), New Cross Pacific (NCP) Cable System, and others. In the event of a fault, traffic can be rerouted via these existing cables, minimizing disruptions. Repairs would follow standard industry practices, including the use of cable ships to locate and fix the fault.

Bottom line

• E2A is a planned trans-Pacific submarine cable linking East Asia and North America.
• The cable spans 12,500 km and is expected to be ready for service in 2029.
• Landing points include Busan, Itoshima, Maruyama, Tomakomai, Toucheng, and Morro Bay.
• Key technical details such as design capacity, fiber pairs, and supplier are not disclosed.
• Theoretical latency floor is 122.5 ms RTT for the wet segment; real-world latency will be higher.
• Redundancy will be provided by existing cables in the same corridors.