The internet service connecting Viet Nam with other countries is expected to be affected this weekend due to a disruption in the submarine cable systems of Asia-Pacific Getaway (APG) and Asia-America Getaway (AAG).

According to internet service providers, the APG submarine cable system would be moved from its current position to another place because of the Singapore government’s plan to expand Changi Airport. As scheduled, the shift would happen between 12am on Saturday and 10pm on Sunday, the Vietnamplus online newspaper reported.

Meanwhile, the AAG submarine cable system’s operator also intends to conduct a reconfiguration of its cable system on Saturday. The reconfiguration is scheduled to be completed on January 9.

In response to the situation, a representative of VNPT Telecom – an internet service provider – said it had already prepared plans to ensure the quality of internet service for customers would not be severely affected this weekend.

However, these submarine cable systems are the two main cable systems connecting Viet Nam with other countries, therefore, a disruption in service was unavoidable, according to the VNPT Telecome representative.

“We hope our customers will understand,” he said

The 10,400km-long APG is an undersea cable system linking eight countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region -- Malaysia, Singapore, China and China’s Hong Kong, as well as Taiwan, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Viet Nam.

The AAG has a total length of 20,000 km, connecting Southeast Asia with the United States.

Statistics from the Viet Nam Internet Association shows that the country currently now has over 50 million internet users. — VNS