The incident occurred at 4 AM on July 19 on the S1H segment, the Vietnam branch from the Vung Tau landing station to the international trunk, marking the second time this year the Asia America Gateway (AAG) submarine cable has been cut. This incident disrupted all Internet connectivity services from Vietnam to international locations via the AAG submarine cable.
According to a plan announced by the cable’s operating unit to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Vietnam on July 24, the aforementioned issue was expected to be repaired from July 27 to July 31. However, on July 26, the estimated completion date for the repair work was postponed to August 3.
However, in reality, the repairs for the AAG incident that occurred on the morning of July 19 began on July 26.
In a statement to ICTnews today, August 1, a representative of an ISP in Vietnam stated that at 1:20 PM on July 31, the AAG cable repair ship completed the final splice, and international traffic through the S1H cable branch from the Vung Tau landing station to the international trunk has been fully restored.
Thus, with the issue on the AAG submarine cable resolved, all five submarine cables that account for the majority of Internet traffic from Vietnam to international locations, including APG, SMW3, AAE-1, AAG, and IA, are currently operating normally.
“In the context of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and many southern provinces undergoing social distancing, the demand for Internet and social media usage has surged, so the normal operation of AAG will relieve pressure on carriers to ensure the quality of Internet services provided to users,” said a representative from an ISP.
According to the assessment by a representative from VIA, although the AAG cable frequently encounters issues, economically it is the most reasonably priced cable. Therefore, in the usage structure of carriers, AAG remains an important component, especially for large carriers with many mobile Internet users. Previously, in a conversation with ICTnews at the time of the incident, Mr. Vu The Binh, Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the Vietnam Internet Association (VIA), noted that the incident on July 19 on the AAG cable could have a greater impact than previous occurrences: “Because the Covid-19 situation is complicated. In many provinces and cities, most people must stay at home, thus the demand for Internet usage has increased significantly to ensure essential communication and social interaction needs.”
AAG is a submarine cable that has been officially put into operation since November 2009, with a total length of 20,191 km. This cable directly connects Southeast Asia to the USA, passing through 8 countries and territories including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei, Hong Kong (China), the Philippines, and the United States (Guam, Hawaii, and California). The branch leading into Vietnam of the AAG submarine cable is 314 km long, with a landing point at Vung Tau.
This year, the AAG cable encountered its first issue at 5:40 AM on June 22 on the S1H branch, approximately 102 km from the Vung Tau landing station. At that time, a representative of an ISP in Vietnam assessed that the incident affected the quality of Internet services from Vietnam to international locations at less than 15% of total capacity. The issue began to be resolved on July 2 and was completed by the evening of July 12, restoring transmission channels on the line.