Timeline: Sub-marine Telecommunication in HK since 1869

Jan 1, 1869

Set-up of the China Submarine Company

Jun 11, 1871

Completion of first cable via Hong Kong: Singapore- Cochin China- Hong Kong

Fig. 1: Main (deep sea) cable with seven-strand
copper conductor and twelve armouring wires

Jan 1, 1873

The Formation of the Eastern Extension, Australasia & China Telegraph Company

Fig. 2: Eastern Extension Company’s Hong Kong office circa 1902

Jan 1, 1880

Hong Kong- Philippines Cable come into service

Jan 1, 1883

Hong Kong- Wusung, Shanghai, China put into service

Fig. 3: Eastern Extension Telegraph Co. Office, Shanghai

Jan 1, 1884

Three cables come into service

Singapore- Hong Kong (Renewed large part of 1871 cable)
Hong Kong- Tonkin (Northern Vietnam)
Hong Kong- Macau

Jan 1, 1894

Hong kong- Singapore cable come into service

Second cable of to connect Hong Kong and Singapore, while adopt a different route

Jul 26, 1904

An agreement to development asian telecommunication has been signed

This 1904 agreement between the Eastern Extension, Australasia and China Telegraph Company, Limited, and the Deutsch Niederländische Telegraphen Gesellschaft, Aktiengesellschaft would have been typical.

Jan 1, 1914

Aden Colombo- Ceylon- Penang- Singapore- Hong Kong

May 24, 1934

The Eastern Extension recombined and renamed to Cable & Wireless Ltd. (hereafter C&W)

Period: Jan 1, 1941 to Dec 31, 1942

Cable damaged by the Japanese Occupation

Cable to the Far East were lost when Japan invade Malaya and the Dutch East Indies

Jan 1, 1947

Nationalisation of C&W

Sep 25, 1956

CANTAT 1 was laid: Oban- Scotland- Clarenville, Newfoundland

Oban- Scotland- Clarenville, Newofoundland
Fig. 4: A section of TAT 1 cable with the layers successively stripped back

Jan 1, 1961

CANTAT 2 was laid: Corner Brook- Newfoundland- Grosses Reach, Quebec

Corner Brook- Newfoundland- Grosses Reach, Quebec

Oct 10, 1963

COMPAC Completed: Vancouver- Hawaii- Suva (Fiji)- Auckland- Sydney

Start laid in 1961 and completed in 10 OCT 1963, connect Vancouver and Sydney

Jan 1, 1964

Jessleton, Sabah- Singapore cable come into service

Mar 31, 1965

SEACOM 1 opened for service: Singapore- Sabah- Hong Kong

Singapore- Sabah- Hong Kong cable

Mar 30, 1967

SEACOM 2 officially opened: Hong Kong- Guam- Madang, Papua Guinea- Carins, Australia

Hong Kong- Guam- Madang, Papua Guinea- Carins, Australia; SEACOM linked with COMPAC at Guam Fig. 5: CS Mercury taking on cable in 1965 at the SCL premises at Enderby's Wharf, Greenwich, London, for the Deep Water Bay, Hong Kong - Tumon Bay, Guam section of SEACOM 2. Mercury laid 1,296nm of cable with 51 repeaters.