XLSmart to Construct 8,000-Kilometre Submarine Cable Connecting Six Countries
XLSmart has begun implementing the Candle Cable System project, spanning approximately 8,0com kilometres and connecting Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan. The construction of this infrastructure is part of the company’s strategic investment to strengthen Indonesia’s long-term digital connectivity.
Developed through XLSmart for Business, the submarine cable communication system (SKKL) project is targeted to be fully operational by 2028. According to reports, this infrastructure is expected to provide wider access for national businesses to regional markets.
“Digital economic growth requires increasing capacity and broader access to global networks. For us, the most important thing is ensuring that this infrastructure investment can open greater access for Indonesian businesses to grow and connect with the regional digital ecosystem,” said Andrijanto Muljono, Director & Chief Enterprise Business Officer of XLSmart.
The project, which commenced in December 2024, entered a crucial phase with the landing of the Golden Buoy in Tanjung Bemban, Batam, on Friday (11/9/2026). This step simultaneously adds more high-capacity international connectivity route options for Indonesia.
“For enterprise customers, Candle provides wider, high-capacity, reliable, and scalable international connectivity options. Such capabilities are essential to meet the evolving needs of companies as data usage and digital services continue to grow,” added Andrijanto.
The development of this international cable network project is the result of a consortium collaboration between XLSmart, Meta, Globe Telecom, IPS Inc., Telekom Malaysia, and SoftBank Japan, with NEC serving as the technology partner. The selection of the landing site in Tanjung Bemban was based on Batam’s strategic position as a data centre hub for hyperscaler companies in western Indonesia.
The cable network will connect data centre facilities in Batam directly to the countries it traverses. This infrastructure is designed to support the surge in enterprise data needs, such as artificial intelligence (AI) processing and cloud services.
XLSmart stated that it continues to coordinate with the government and relevant stakeholders regarding licensing and regulatory matters. Both the Batam City Government and the central government have provided support to ensure the project proceeds in accordance with legal provisions.
“Candle is not just about building new connectivity routes, but about opening wider access for Indonesia to the regional digital ecosystem. We hope this infrastructure can benefit the business world, support the growth of the digital ecosystem, and strengthen Indonesia’s position in the development of Asia’s digital economy,” he concluded.