This is the first time that four of the five international submarine cables connecting Vietnam have experienced simultaneous problems, resulting in reduced internet quality and a choppy experience for at least several weeks.
In the first month of 2023, two of the five fiber optic cables connecting Vietnam to the international community suffered problems, affecting internet traffic from Vietnam to the international community. These two cables, IA (also known as ASEAN) and APG, are among the most fiber optic cables that carry Internet traffic from Vietnam to the international community.
Earlier, at the end of 2022, two other fiber optic cables, AAG and AAE-1, also had problems and have not yet been resolved. As a result, 4 out of 5 fiber optic cables used by Vietnamese network providers are experiencing problems, affecting many subscribers’ international internet connection.
According to some service providers (ISPs) in Vietnam, not all networks are using IA and APG which just experienced problems, but when all 4 major fiber optic cables experience problems, there may be a ripple effect as traffic volume is diverted to another cable, causing congestion or international internet access slows down.
ISPs in Vietnam predict that the local slowdown and decline in the quality of international internet access will continue for a few more weeks.
Many experts also believe that in addition to the need for more submarine cable routes, Vietnam also needs to diversify its terrestrial cable channels, especially in the west and southwest. This is not only to meet the needs of Internet users, but also to ensure the level of security in terms of Vietnam’s communication with the world.
In 2023, one of the main tasks is to implement a program to promote the development of IDC, cloud computing in Vietnam and submarine cable routes owned by Vietnamese companies, while taking measures to ensure the quality of existing submarine cable routes.
