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China Unicom lands SHV-HK submarine cable connecting Hong Kong to Cambodia

By: IDCNOVARegion: Southeast Asia
China Unicom has successfully landed the SHV-HK submarine cable at its Hong Kong Tseung Kwan O L2 cable landing station (CLS), marking the first direct subsea connection between Hong Kong and Cambodia. The system, which will link Hong Kong to Sihanoukville, Cambodia, was brought ashore at the end of last month and represents a significant step in expanding regional digital connectivity.

The SHV-HK cable spans nearly 3,000 kilometers and has a total designed capacity of 80Tbps, positioning it as a high-capacity backbone for data traffic between the two territories. The landing is part of China Unicom's broader "two horizontal and four vertical" integrated land and sea network strategy, which aims to strengthen China's connectivity with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The project builds on a cooperation agreement signed between China and Cambodia in October 2023.

The Tseung Kwan O CLS, which commenced operations in December 2025, already supports the SEA-H2X submarine cable connecting Southeast Asia to Hainan, China, and Hong Kong. With the addition of SHV-HK, China Unicom now operates a parallel network of more than six international high-capacity submarine cables linking Hong Kong to ASEAN markets. Looking ahead, the SHV-HK system could be extended to reach Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Hainan, and the Philippines, further deepening regional integration.

China Unicom, a state-owned telecommunications operator, holds investments in more than 60 international submarine cable systems and operates over 40 branches worldwide. Tseung Kwan O, where the L2 CLS is located, is a new town built on reclaimed land in the northern half of Junk Bay, while Sihanoukville is a port city in southern Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand.

The landing of SHV-HK underscores the growing importance of subsea infrastructure in supporting cross-border data flows and digital services across Asia. As demand for international bandwidth continues to rise, driven by cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and data-intensive applications, direct cable routes such as SHV-HK are expected to play a critical role in enhancing network resilience and reducing latency for businesses and consumers alike.