{"url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-22/nec-mvista-cable-supplier-selection","markdown_url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-22/nec-mvista-cable-supplier-selection.md","title":"NEC in line for $400 million MViSTA cable supplier pick","headline":"NEC and Alcatel Submarine Networks compete for $400 million MViSTA undersea cable contract","description":"Developers of the $400 million MViSTA undersea cable will choose between NEC and Alcatel Submarine Networks this month, with service expected in late 2028.","section":"Contracts & Customers","published_at":"2026-10-22T05:32:34+00:00","modified_at":"2026-10-22T05:32:34+00:00","author":"News Desk","key_takeaways":["Developers of the $400 million MViSTA cable will select a supplier between NEC and Alcatel Submarine Networks this month.","The 16-fibre-pair cable links Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand and is expected to enter service in late 2028.","Chinese suppliers were excluded from bidding and the route avoids South China Sea areas claimed by Beijing."],"companies":[{"name":"NEC Corporation","is_primary":true,"profile_url":"https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00009zo/nec-corporation","website":"http://www.nec.com"},{"name":"Midas Capital","is_primary":false,"profile_url":"https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000duaz/midas-capital","website":"https://midascapital.jp"},{"name":"Stavian Talent","is_primary":false,"profile_url":"https://akta.pro/company-profiles/005dimy/stavian-talent","website":"https://stavian.com"}],"source":{"publisher":"Reuters","title":"New US-backed Southeast Asia data cable to pick NEC or Alcatel as supplier, developer says","url":"https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-us-backed-southeast-asia-data-cable-pick-nec-or-alcatel-supplier-developer-2026-10-22/"},"other_sources":[],"tags":["Contracts & Customers","NEC Corporation","Midas Capital","Stavian Talent"],"body_markdown":"Developers of the US-backed MViSTA undersea data cable linking Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand will this month choose a supplier between Japan's NEC and France's Alcatel Submarine Networks, [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-us-backed-southeast-asia-data-cable-pick-nec-or-alcatel-supplier-developer-2026-10-22/) reported. The 16-fibre-pair cable carries an estimated cost of about $400 million and is expected to enter service in late 2028, according to Mark Procter, deputy head of [Stavian](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/005dimy/stavian-talent) High Tech Infrastructure.\n\n## NEC and Alcatel Submarine Networks Vie for MViSTA Contract\n\nStavian High Tech Infrastructure is a unit of Vietnamese conglomerate Stavian Group and one of the project's developers. Procter, who is also chief operating officer of the special purpose vehicle set up to develop and operate the cable, said the tender is underway with a decision on the winner slated for later in October. Alcatel Submarine Networks said it does not comment on ongoing tendering activity, and NEC did not respond to a request for comment.\n\nUS cable maker SubCom was also invited to bid but declined because of existing commitments, Procter said. The project's backers excluded Chinese suppliers from bidding and designed the route to avoid the vast area claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea, he said. Stavian is also planning a data-centre campus in southern Vietnam linked to the cable, with \"no Chinese company involved in any key technology deployed\" in the cluster, he added.\n\nAlongside Stavian, the project's shareholders include Tokyo-based investment firm [Midas Capital](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000duaz/midas-capital) and LitUp Network, a subsidiary of Malaysia's OMS Group, which will be responsible for laying the 2,500-km cable, Procter said. APTelecom, a consultancy working with the US government on cable infrastructure, facilitated the formation of the group of shareholders, worked on the feasibility study and is helping secure customers for the cable and the data-centre campus.\n\n## NEC's Recent Deals and Financial Scale\n\n[NEC Corporation](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00009zo/nec-corporation) is a Japanese multinational technology conglomerate providing AI, network infrastructure, cybersecurity, biometric authentication and enterprise software solutions to governments, telecom operators and large enterprises across more than 50 countries, according to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data). The same records show NEC completed a $2.9 billion acquisition of CSG Systems International in May 2026 and obtained CFIUS clearance for the merger. NEC reported full-year FY2026 revenue of JPY 3,582.7 billion, up 9% year on year, and non-GAAP operating profit of JPY 397.2 billion, with a profit margin reaching double digits at 11% for the first time.\n\n## Earlier NEC Moves This Month\n\nNEC launched the iStorage V51 storage model for small-scale systems on October 16, 2026, with a retail price about 70% lower than the iStorage V110, Prtimes reported. On October 6, 2026, Telecompaper reported that NEC plans to establish a European Cyber Intelligence & Operation Center in April 2027 and introduce a three-region 24/7 operating model linking Japan, Europe and the US from July. NEC also established a Corporate AI & Workforce Division on August 1, staffed by AI agents that handle analytical work and report to human executives, Ubergizmo reported on October 14, 2026.\n\n## MViSTA Feasibility Study Timeline\n\nThe USTDA-funded feasibility study for the cable-linked campus is due for completion in March 2027, assessing the deployment of trusted technology and whether US restrictions on exports of advanced semiconductors could affect the planned 1-gigawatt infrastructure, Procter said.\n","publisher":{"name":"News for Agent","url":"https://newsforagent.com"}}