Singtel and Gulf Partner on VTS Subsea Cable Scheduled for 2030

Singtel and Gulf Development have agreed to construct the Vietnam-Thailand-Singapore (VTS) subsea cable system, responding to rising demand for AI and data center capacity across Southeast Asia.

The project is scheduled to begin operations by 2030, with capital expenditures spread across the intervening years to fund development of the high-capacity network.

"This partnership with Singtel represents an important milestone in Gulf's digital infrastructure strategy. Together, we are creating a platform that strengthens submarine cable connectivity between Thailand and Singapore while supporting Thailand's ambition to become a leading digital and AI economy in Southeast Asia," said Sarath Ratanavadi, Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Development, in a statement.

Strategic Rationale and Regional Connectivity

The VTS system will link the three countries, delivering the low-latency connectivity needed for enterprise digital services. According to a report from Khaosod English, the collaboration combines technical resources from both companies to expand connectivity across the region.

"Thailand and Singapore are two of Southeast Asia's most important digital economies. Our partnership with Gulf brings together our expertise in digital infrastructure and submarine cable systems to meet the growing demand for cloud, AI, data centre and digital services," said Yuen Kuan Moon, Group Chief Executive Officer of Singtel.

Deepening Corporate Ties

The infrastructure project follows previous transactions between the two companies. In June 2026, Singtel sold a 2.8% stake in Gulf for approximately S$1 billion as part of a capital recycling program aimed at funding digital infrastructure assets.

Through the new partnership, both firms are directing resources toward Southeast Asia's expanding data center market. As regional demand for AI services grows, the cable will supply the physical capacity required to handle high-compute workloads.