Vietnam’s internet connection should return to normal speeds in two weeks as teams rush to repair the snapped Asia-America Gateway (AAG) cable that lies off the coast of Vung Tau.
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The break occurred on May 26, and like previous ruptures, Vietnamese telecoms have been unable to pinpoint the cause. In April, Minister of Information and Communications, Nguyen Bac Son, said that service interruptions could be caused my many things, "including fishing nets and even sabotage," wrote the paper.
A source familiar with the situation told Thanh Nien that repairs would be completed by June 17.
But things are set to get worse before they get better. The cable will enter a ten-day major maintenance phase starting this Sunday, further slowing connections speeds, according to Tuoi Tre.
Some blame sharks while others conjure up Chinese conspiracy theories, but FPT officials have faulted “below-standard technical design” for the regular breaks in the AAG cable.
“I must say that the AAG cable system was built to a below-standard technical design, which is the major reason behind its frequent fractures,” said Nguyen Van Khoa, general director of FPT Telecom.
The $560 million system is a joint venture among 19 partners, including Vietnam’s Viettel, VNPT, FPT, and STP.
Vietnamese telecoms are planning to build new internet cables to Japan and China in the coming months to decrease their reliance on the fragile AAG cable.
[Photo via Wired]
