Telstra International have partnered with Trans Pacific Network (TPN) on the Echo subsea cable.

The subsea cable is the first to directly connect the US to Singapore, creating a new route in the Trans-Pacific.

Echo's subsea system will connect California, Jakarta, Singapore, and Guam, with the first segments (Guam-US) due to launch in mid-2024, with the remaining segments in 2025.

The subsea cable, owned by Google and Meta, will span more than 17,000km. EdgeConnex is building a cable landing station for the Californian landing point in Eureka.

Telstra will become TPN's operating partner and deliver cable landing station services for Echo in Singapore and the Network Operations Centre services.

XL Axiata is landing the cable in Indonesia and will partner with Telstra to deliver services into Indonesia.

"Our subsea network scale makes Telstra International uniquely placed to successfully navigate the complexity of these environments to ensure the stability of the world's digital connectivity," said Roary Stasko, CEO Telstra International.

Demand for bandwidth in the Trans-Pacific is forecast to grow 39 percent year on year until 2029, according to Telegeography.

"The Trans-Pacific is a critical connection point to reach the US, and the geography of these regions means they will rely on new submarine cable routes like Echo for international connectivity," added Aaron Knapick, CFO, TPN.

Last week, Telstra announced it has partnered with Google and APTelecom on a new subsea cable system connecting islands in the Pacific.

Dubbed "Pacific Connect," the system will comprise two subsea cables: Bulikula and Halaihai.

Australian telco Telstra also announced it has expanded its network footprint into Latin American markets, through the establishment of a dedicated point-of-presence (PoP) at Stemmons Towers in Dallas, Texas.

The company said last week that it is working with Mexican telcos Axtel and Vivaro as part of this.