The $550 million Asia America Gateway (AAG) submarine cable network, the first 20,000 kilometer-long direct link from Southeast Asia to the United States, has been completed at last.

The project’s start-up was delayed twice. Although it was first slated to start carrying commercial traffic in the last quarter of 2008, bad weather buffeted the laying of deep cables in Hong Kong, compelling the proponents to move the date to August, 2009. It is now live and fully operational, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and its partners announced Wednesday.

After completing its comprehensive test requirement, the submarine cable network now links up the high growth South East Asia markets of Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Hong Kong and the Philippines to Guam, Hawaii, and the US West Coast. It also provides seamless connectivity to Australia , India , Europe and even Africa via common landing points along its route.