FLAG Strengthens Trans-Pacific Telecoms Capacity with ECHO

FLAG has confirmed the acquisition of a fibre pair on the ECHO subsea cable from Google, reinforcing its international telecommunications network across the trans-Pacific corridor. 

The deal adds capacity on a route that is seeing sustained demand from carriers, cloud providers and enterprises requiring predictable low-latency connectivity between Asia and North America.

The ECHO system establishes a new express path between South Asia and the US and is designed to meet rising bandwidth and latency requirements across global telecoms networks. 

Targeted to be ready for service in mid-2026, the cable connects Singapore to the US via landing stations at Eureka in California and Piti in Guam.

FLAG states that the system supports high-speed and resilient data transmission, which is increasingly important as international traffic volumes continue to grow.

With an estimated latency of 165 milliseconds between Singapore and the US, ECHO offers one of the fastest available routes across the Pacific.

The cable links key telecommunications hubs, supporting wholesale capacity, international backhaul and interconnection services for service providers operating across multiple regions.

Ownership model supports carrier-grade services

Targeted to be ready for service in mid-2026, the cable connects Singapore to the US via landing stations at Eureka in California and Piti in Guam.

FLAG states that the system supports high-speed and resilient data transmission, which is increasingly important as international traffic volumes continue to grow.

With an estimated latency of 165 milliseconds between Singapore and the US, ECHO offers one of the fastest available routes across the Pacific.

The cable links key telecommunications hubs, supporting wholesale capacity, international backhaul and interconnection services for service providers operating across multiple regions.

Ownership model supports carrier-grade services

The acquisition provides FLAG with a fully owned fibre pair on ECHO, giving the operator direct control over capacity management, service configuration and network performance. 

This ownership model allows FLAG to deliver dedicated and scalable connectivity services to telecoms customers that require assured quality of service across long-haul international routes.

Singapore acts as a major aggregation point for South Asia traffic, while Eureka provides direct access to the US West Coast.

Guam functions as an intermediate landing station, adding route diversity and improving resilience.

FLAG highlights that this architecture supports seamless traffic flows across the Pacific, reducing dependency on congested routes and enabling more consistent performance for latency-sensitive services.

Paul Abfalter, Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer of FLAG, comments: "We’re accelerating growth in our digital infrastructure with investments in subsea and terrestrial fibre capacity on unique, diverse routes. This investment expands our global network, creating a fully owned fibre ring around the globe connecting major economies.”

Following this first attribution, FLAG explains that owning the fibre pair enables the company to tailor services for carriers and network operators that require flexible capacity options.

These include wavelength services, dark fibre and bespoke solutions designed to support international voice, data and cloud traffic.

Singapore to US route and regional integration

Once in service, ECHO becomes one of only two subsea cables directly connecting Singapore to the US. 

FLAG plans to integrate the new route with its India Asia Express system, which links India to Singapore.

Together, the systems create a continuous telecommunications path from India to the US, supporting cross-border connectivity across multiple markets.

Carl Grivner, CEO of FLAG, says: "At FLAG, our vision has always been to deliver resilient, global connectivity solutions that empower customers. 

“Our continued investment in new FibreLinks around the Globe reflects this commitment.

“Once in service, ECHO will be one of only two cables directly connecting Singapore to the US.

“ By interconnecting it with our India Asia Express investment (India to Singapore), we are set to become the leading provider of India-to-US connectivity."

For telecoms operators, direct subsea routes reduce the number of network hops required to move traffic between continents.

This can lower latency, simplify routing and improve fault tolerance for international services such as IP transit, private networks and mobile roaming backhaul.

Network investment and global footprint

The fibre pair acquisition follows a year of activity for FLAG.

In April, the company completed a rebrand and in June secured a US$340m refinancing package to support future infrastructure investments. 

FLAG has confirmed that it remains focused on its long-term network strategy and plans further investment across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

FLAG operates one of the largest privately owned subsea cable networks, spanning more than 180 countries through seven subsea and six terrestrial systems. 

The company serves hyperscalers and enterprises alongside carriers, offering flexible capacity solutions across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the USA.

In addition to its fibre assets, FLAG also provides modular data centres at edge locations and cable landing stations, supporting telecoms services close to where international traffic enters and exits the network.

The ECHO fibre pair extends FLAG’s trans-Pacific reach and adds new options for operators seeking resilient and high-capacity international telecommunications connectivity between Asia and North America.