Keppel and its wholly owned subsidiary Keppel Kruger Holdings have secured a Facilities-Based Operator licence from Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority for the Kruger Cable System. The licence represents a significant regulatory milestone for the planned subsea cable project and moves it closer to a final investment decision.
The FBO licence enables Keppel Kruger Holdings to own and operate submarine cable landing infrastructure in Singapore, a necessary step before the broader subsea cable system can proceed toward construction and eventual operation.
Singapore Licence Advances Kruger Subsea Cable Development
Obtaining the FBO licence from IMDA is a key requirement for any entity seeking to operate telecommunications infrastructure in Singapore. For Keppel, this approval clears a critical regulatory hurdle and supports the company’s efforts to advance the Kruger Cable System through the development pipeline.
The planned cable landing site is located at Tuas, on Singapore’s western coast. Keppel intends to use the same beach manhole that already serves the Bifrost Cable System, allowing the Kruger project to benefit from existing landing infrastructure. Preliminary works are already underway at the Tuas site, and a 1.2-kilometre cable stub was laid in 2024, providing a physical foundation for future construction.
This shared infrastructure at Tuas is expected to help accelerate the subsea cable project’s timeline and reduce the complexity of early-stage deployment.
Kruger Cable to Link Singapore With South Asia and Oman
The Kruger Cable System is planned to connect Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, India and Oman, with branches across South Asia. The route would establish a new international subsea cable corridor serving growing demand for international bandwidth between Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East.
As data consumption and cross-border digital traffic continue to rise, new submarine cable routes are increasingly important for meeting capacity requirements. The Kruger system is designed to address this demand by offering additional connectivity options along the Singapore-to-Oman path.
Keppel Prepares Kruger System for Investment and Construction
Keppel plans to attract third-party investment into the Kruger Cable System through its private infrastructure fund. Potential investors are currently being evaluated, though no financing has been formally secured at this stage.
The company expects to reach a final investment decision by the end of 2026. Until that decision is made, the subsea cable system remains in the development and planning phase, with ongoing preparatory work at the Tuas landing site.
The Kruger project forms part of Keppel’s broader efforts in subsea network development. The FBO licence from IMDA strengthens the project’s regulatory standing and provides a clearer path for the company as it works toward securing investment commitments and moving the cable system into its construction phase.
With the Singapore licence now in place, Keppel is positioned to continue advancing the Kruger Cable System as it seeks to finalise funding and begin full-scale deployment of the international submarine cable route.