iWorld
Laying of data transmitting submarine Asia Direct Cable completed
MUMBAI: After a gap of almost eight years, a new intra-Asia undersea cable has just been readied for operation connecting China (Hong Kong SAR), Japan, and Singapore .The Asia Direct Cable (ADC) submarine cable is owned by the ADC Consortium and consists of multiple pairs of high-capacity optical fibers. It is designed to handle over 160 tbps of traffic, allowing for the efficient transmission of data across east and southeast Asia.
The ADC is a global consortium comprised of leading communications and technology companies, including NT (Thailand), China Telecom, China Unicom, PLDT Inc, Singtel, SoftBank Cor., Tata Communications and Viettel.
It will be providing essential infrastructure to meet the growing demand for data transmission in the region and creates new opportunities for communication and society’s future.
This milestone marks a crucial step in supporting the increasing communication needs of Asia and the world. It represents the culmination of collaborative efforts and partnerships with stakeholders from various countries.
“This new cable marks a significant milestone, providing a vital foundation to support the ever-growing communications needs of Asia and the world. The milestone represents the culmination of our efforts to overcome numerous challenges, made possible through steadfast collaboration and partnerships with esteemed stakeholders from various countries, including NEC. We are confident that this cable system will significantly contribute to the development of the AI industry in the Asia region,” said ADC Consortium chairperson Koji Ishii.
“The consortium is extremely satisfied with the successful completion of this cable,” said ADC Consortium co-chairperson Billy Li. “It offers the greatest cable capacity and essential diversity required for Asia’s major information hubs, enabling telecom carriers and service providers to optimize their network and service planning for sustainable growth.”
e-commerce
American Express to acquire AI startup Hyper to boost automation
Deal targets expense management as AI reshapes corporate spending tools.
MUMBAI: From receipts to robots, the expense sheet is getting a brain upgrade as American Express moves to bring artificial intelligence into the heart of corporate spending. The company has announced plans to acquire Hyper, a relatively young but fast-rising startup founded in 2022 that builds AI-powered agents capable of organising expenses, generating reports, verifying compliance with budgets and policies, and nudging users with timely reminders. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, underscores a growing shift among financial institutions to automate traditionally manual, time-heavy workflows.
Hyper counts Sam Altman among its backers, adding a layer of Silicon Valley credibility to the acquisition. While financial details remain undisclosed, the strategic intent is clear: deepen automation capabilities and sharpen American Express’s position in the competitive corporate spending ecosystem.
The two companies are not strangers. They previously collaborated in 2024 on a co-branded credit card product, suggesting that the acquisition is less a cold buy and more an extension of an existing relationship. With this move, American Express is effectively bringing that capability in-house, aiming to embed AI directly into its commercial services stack.
Chief executive Stephen Squeri had already signalled the direction of travel in a recent shareholder letter, describing AI as a “structural shift” in how businesses operate. The Hyper acquisition appears to be a direct response to that shift, particularly in expense management, where processes such as approvals, compliance checks and reporting remain ripe for automation.
Alongside the acquisition, the company is also expanding its product suite. A recently launched business credit card offers cashback and benefits at an annual fee of $295, with another card expected later this year moves that complement its broader push into commercial services.
Taken together, the strategy points to a future where managing expenses may require fewer spreadsheets and more algorithms. For American Express, the bet is simple, if businesses are rethinking how work gets done, the tools that power that work need to evolve just as quickly.
