The company completed the landing of the Hong Kong segment of the SEA-H2X submarine cable and activating key eastern sections of the 2Africa system connecting Africa, Europe and Asia.

In Hong Kong, the company successfully landed the Southeast Asia–Hainan–Hong Kong (SEA-H2X) cable at Tseung Kwan O. As the landing party for the Hong Kong segment, China Mobile completed the work smoothly, signalling the official start of construction for this section.

The 6,000-kilometre system, scheduled for full completion by the end of 2025, features eight fibre pairs and a design capacity exceeding 200Tbps.

Linking Hainan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore, SEA-H2X uses open-cable access and spectrum-sharing technologies to enhance flexibility and transmission efficiency. China Mobile has invested in four trunk fibre pairs and several branch segments, securing at least 100Tbps of dedicated bandwidth once the system is live.

The company said the initiative complements its existing Asia-Pacific routes, including SJC, APG and the recently added SJC2, giving it a total of ten regional submarine cables. These routes together form what China Mobile described as a “world-class digital infrastructure for computing networks”, enabling high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity across the region.

Beyond network expansion, the project underlines Hong Kong’s strategic position as a regional digital hub. By connecting the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area with Hainan and Southeast Asia, SEA-H2X establishes what China Mobile called a “direct international data artery” that will support regional digital-economy growth and cross-border data-centre operations.

At the same time, China Mobile has completed the activation of the 2Africa submarine cable’s eastern segments, spanning South Africa, Kenya and Djibouti, as well as Marseille to Egypt. The company hosted a launch event in Nairobi under the theme “Connect, Innovate, Ignite: Empowering Africa’s Digital Future Together.”

H.E. Guo Haiyan, China’s ambassador to Kenya said: “Digital cooperation is becoming a key driver of collaboration between China and Africa. The successful activation of the 2Africa submarine cable eastern segment and the launch of China Mobile’s AI+ Cloud-Network Convergence Industry Solutions vividly illustrate the results of China–Africa digital collaboration.”

Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy, Hon. William Kabogo Gitau, called the 2Africa system “a landmark achievement of China-Africa collaboration”, adding: “This cable does more than transmit data, it connects Africa to the future of the world.”

Li Huidi, EVP of China Mobile said AI and 5G are becoming “key drivers of economic transformation across Africa.” He outlined plans for deeper cooperation with African partners through the integration of 2Africa cable resources, AI computing, and cloud-network convergence.

Spanning around 45,000 kilometres with a design capacity of 180 Tbps, 2Africa is the world’s largest submarine cable, connecting 33 countries across Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe.

China Mobile said the activation of the eastern segment will “inject powerful momentum into local digital transformation and economic growth” and strengthen Africa’s role in global connectivity.

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