SoftBank Corp. Selected to Establish New Landing Stations for E2A Submarine Cable System

With the rapid development of AI, international data traffic has surged dramatically in recent years. Given this trend, securing a stable international communications network has become essential to sustaining economic growth and maintaining social infrastructure. Addressing the risk of communication outages during large-scale disasters, such as major earthquakes, has also become a high priority for governments.

As part of a Government of Japan initiative to strengthen the nation’s digital infrastructure by multiplying international submarine cable routes, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) was selected by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to establish new landing stations.

SoftBank will begin coordinating with related parties to establish new landing stations for the East Asia to North America (E2A) submarine cable system that will connect Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and the United States. These landing stations will be located in northeastern and southwestern parts of Japan—specifically Tomakomai City of Hokkaido Prefecture and Itoshima City of Fukuoka Prefecture. By distributing and decentralizing landing points geographically, SoftBank aims to increase the resilience of Japan’s international communications network.

New landing stations diversify geographical risk

Hokkaido (the northernmost main island) and Kyushu (the southernmost main island)—particularly Fukuoka Prefecture—are expected to see an increased concentration of digital infrastructure as they serve as core regions capable of substituting and complementing infrastructure already established in the central Tokyo and Osaka metropolitan areas.

Tomakomai City and Itoshima City are located in optimal locations for routes that connect Asia and North America. Their sufficient distance from existing landing stations—including the “SoftBank Maruyama Landing Station” located in Minamiboso City, Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo—also makes them optimal for geographical risk diversification.

For more details on the E2A submarine cable system, please refer to this press release.