FLAG has invested in the MIST and I2SEA subsea cable systems, which will give customers four diverse paths into Mumbai and more route options between India, Singapore and the US.
The investments build on FLAG’s earlier purchase of a fibre pair on the ECHO Trans-Pacific system, and on its existing India-Singapore capacity, which was expanded with the launch of a Chennai-Singapore route earlier this year.
Under an agreement with Orient Lines, the owner of MIST, FLAG will add capacity between Mumbai and Singapore. FLAG services on the system are due to be available from October 2026.
FLAG has also contracted with Lightstorm to take a fibre pair on I2SEA, which will connect Machilipatnam, Chennai and Singapore. I2SEA is expected to enter service in 2029. As part of the project, FLAG is investing in terrestrial segments between Mumbai and Chennai, extending its infrastructure footprint within India.
The company said growth in enterprise, cloud and AI traffic is pushing customers to seek multiple network paths for redundancy and business continuity. It is focusing on markets where geopolitical, regulatory and infrastructure factors make connectivity more complex, and on reducing reliance on legacy corridors. That concern has sharpened this year as conflict in the Gulf has put pressure on subsea routes between Asia and Europe.
“The I2SEA investment is a great example of FLAG ramping up our investments in new subsea builds and in unique long haul terrestrial capability,” said Paul Abfalter, who takes over as FLAG’s CEO on 1 October.
Abfalter added that the company aims to become the provider of choice for long haul connectivity in the Indo-Pacific region, and that further investment announcements will follow next quarter.
FLAG operates seven subsea and six terrestrial cables and serves customers in more than 180 countries. Beyond its network, it also offers modular data centres at edge locations and cable landing stations.
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