China Mobile has achieved two major milestones in its global subsea network expansion, completing the landing of the SEA-H2X cable in Hong Kong and activating key eastern segments of the 2Africa system, which spans Africa, Europe, and Asia.
The company successfully landed the Southeast Asia–Hainan–Hong Kong (SEA-H2X) cable at Tseung Kwan O, marking the official start of construction on the Hong Kong segment. The 6,000-kilometre system—featuring eight fibre pairs and more than 200Tbps of design capacity—is set for completion by the end of 2025. It links Hong Kong with Hainan, the Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore, using open-cable access and spectrum-sharing technologies for greater flexibility. China Mobile has invested in four trunk fibre pairs, securing at least 100Tbps of dedicated bandwidth once live.
With SEA-H2X added to its portfolio, China Mobile now operates ten regional submarine cables including APG, SJC, and SJC2—all contributing to what the company calls a “world-class digital infrastructure for computing networks” across Asia-Pacific. The project reinforces Hong Kong’s strategic role as a digital gateway connecting the Greater Bay Area to Southeast Asia and boosting cross-border data-centre integration.
China Mobile has also activated eastern routes of the 2Africa cable, covering South Africa, Kenya, Djibouti, and the Marseille–Egypt link. During a launch event in Nairobi, Chinese and Kenyan officials underscored the system’s importance to China–Africa digital cooperation. Kenya’s ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo Gitau called 2Africa “a landmark achievement,” while China’s ambassador said it reflects “the results of China–Africa digital collaboration.”
With a 45,000-kilometre footprint and a design capacity of 180Tbps, 2Africa is the world’s largest submarine cable system, connecting 33 countries. China Mobile says the activation of its eastern segments will accelerate Africa’s digital transformation through high-capacity connectivity, AI computing, and cloud-network convergence.
