FLAG FEA (Fibre Optic Link Around the Globe) submarine cable
Price and availability check
Awards for Outstanding Performance
Technology & capacity
FLAG FEA was supplied by AT&T Submarine Systems and KDD-Submarine Cable Systems (Fujitsu) and was a technological pioneer in the large-scale deployment of EDFA amplifiers.
- EDFA pioneer: First large-scale use of erbium-doped fiber amplifiers at 1480 nm pump wavelength
- Multiple upgrades: From original 10G SDH to 100G coherent (Ciena 2012) and WaveLogic 6 Extreme (2025)
- Two duplicated terrestrial protection systems: Full redundancy in Egypt and Thailand with less than 50 ms switching time
- Global private network: Combined with FLAG Atlantic-1, FALCON and FNAL to form a fully self-operated ring network
Provider Overview
SAVECALL as access to FLAG/FEA
The FLAG network is one of the few fully privately operated global cable systems in the world. This is precisely what creates particular flexibility in capacity procurement. No consortium with twenty members, no diverging interests, no unnecessary overhead. SAVECALL has direct partnerships with 3i Infrastructure and FLAG and sources capacity on FEA, FLAG Atlantic-1 and FALCON without a reseller chain. We know the strengths of the system: the duplicated terrestrial crossings, the global reach, the direct connection to key markets from London to Tokyo. We negotiate structures that fit your international network needs. For companies with a Euro-Asian presence, FLAG/FEA is a strategically valuable option.
The result for our customers:
- Direct capacity access to FLAG/FEA without reseller chains
- Negotiation of IRU structures and leased capacity models
- Transparent price benchmarking against all available alternatives
- True route diversity through independent redundancy planning
- Clear SLAs and ongoing capacity management
Customers
Why
Telecom & IT sourcing. Worldwide. Carrier-independent.
Selection & operation of worldwide connectivity & cloud infrastructure. Without vendor risk & unnecessary costs.
- 80+ carriers worldwide
- One point of contact
- One SLA
- One portal: mySAVECALL
- Min. 20% savings
25+
years of experience
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Employees
80+
Partner
1400+ Clients
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Frequently asked questions about the FLAG/FEA cable
FLAG/FEA (Fibre-Optic Link Around the Globe) connects Porthcurno in the United Kingdom with Japan, crossing the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. Along the roughly 28,000-kilometer route there are 18 landing points in 14 countries, including Spain, Italy, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, China, South Korea and Japan.
FLAG/FEA originally entered service in 1997 using 10G SDH technology and has since been upgraded several times, most recently to Ciena WaveLogic 6 Extreme. The system was one of the pioneers in the large-scale use of erbium-doped fiber amplifiers and has two fully duplicated terrestrial crossings in Egypt and Thailand, with a switchover time of less than 50 milliseconds in the event of a fault.
FLAG/FEA belongs to the FLAG network, operated by 3i Infrastructure. 3i Infrastructure acquired the previous operator, Global Cloud Xchange (GCX), in 2022 and rebranded the company back to FLAG in 2025. Alongside FEA, the network includes the FLAG Atlantic-1, FALCON and FLAG North Asia Loop cables, making it one of the few fully privately operated global cable systems.
All three systems connect Asia to Europe via the Middle East, but FLAG/FEA is the only one that extends all the way to Japan and South Korea. AAE-1 has been established since 2017 and upgraded several times. PEACE Cable offers the highest segment capacity in the Mediterranean. FLAG/FEA also stands out for its fully private ownership structure without a consortium. The right choice depends on location, budget and redundancy strategy.
FLAG/FEA crosses land at two points, in Egypt between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, and in Thailand. Both crossings are duplicated on completely different routes. If one route fails, the system automatically switches to the alternative route in under 50 milliseconds, without any noticeable outage.
SAVECALL has direct partnerships with 3i Infrastructure and FLAG and sources capacity on FEA, FLAG Atlantic-1 and FALCON without a reseller chain. We know the strengths of the system, the duplicated terrestrial crossings and the direct connection to key markets from London to Tokyo. Book a free consultation to discuss your requirements and the right capacity on FLAG/FEA.
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