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Japan Eyes 630m To Help Buy Undersea Cable Ships As Risks Grow

asia.nikkei.com • October 15, 2026

Tuvalu's first undersea cable, laid with support from Japan, the U.S., Australia and others, landed in December 2024. (Japanese Foreign Affairs Ministry)

TOKYO -- Japan will propose budgeting around 100 billion yen ($628 million) to help domestic companies procure ships that can lay undersea cables as costs soar and Chinese competition rises, Nikkei has learned.

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Japan Strengthens Subsea Cable Infrastructure Amid Security Concerns Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has selected four companies to receive subsidies for developing submarine cable landing stations and international cable branch infrastructure. The initiative aims to diversify routes and enhance the resilience of digital infrastructure, particularly in response to the concentration of data centers and cable landing stations in Chiba and Mie Prefectures. The selected companies include SoftBank Corp., IPS Corporation, IPS Pro Co., and Shikoku Electric Power, with funding from a multi-billion-yen budget. The subsidy program is part of Japan's broader Digital Infrastructure Strengthening Project, which has allocated a total of JPY132.5 billion ($1.97 billion) across multiple years. The current status is that the recipient selection has been confirmed, but construction has not yet begun. The initiative is significant for its geographic spread across Hokkaido, Wakayama, and Tokushima Prefectures, aiming to create more resilient communication hubs. 2 sources 24

Japan Eyes 630m To Help Buy Undersea Cable Ships As Risks Grow

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