In 2016, the 20,000km-long AAG cable was disrupted four times and maintenance work had to be undertaken in March, June, August and September. — File Photo

The Asia-America Gateway (AAG) submarine cable broke once again, causing bandwidth loss from Viet Nam to Hong Kong, Singapore and the US.

The line that snapped on Sunday was 98 kilometres off the coast of the southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.

The management centre of the AAG said it would not be possible to gain access to the waters where the damaged cable was located till January 27.

Consequently, the Internet connectivity speed in the country will be restored only by the first day of the Lunar New Year, or January 28, Bizlive reported.

In 2016, the 20,000km-long AAG cable was disrupted four times and maintenance work had to be undertaken in March, June, August and September.

The AAG, one of the four intercontinental Internet cable systems of Viet Nam and so far the largest, is used by major local providers, namely, FPT Telecom, VNPT, Viettel and SPT.

The AAG cable came into use in November 2009, directly connecting Southeast Asia and the United States. It could also link Southeast Asia with Europe, Australia and Africa.

Previously, the Intra Asia (IA) cable system had also snapped and the damage was spotted near Hong Kong on Tuesday. However, the issue was resolved the same day.

Network providers will expand transmission channels to ensure connectivity this year. The APG (Asia-Pacific Gateway) undersea cable system is expected to help double the country’s Internet traffic to other countries.

The AAE-1 (Asia Africa Euro 1), connecting Asian countries to Europe and Africa, is also under construction and is expected to become operational this year. — VNS