Amazon unveils Sta'O'Nuk subsea cable linking Washington state to Japan

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced plans to build a new subsea cable system connecting the US state of Washington to Japan, marking the first international cable to land in Washington in nearly three decades. The system, named Sta'O'Nuk, is expected to enter service in 2029 and will deliver 420Tbps of capacity across 20 fiber pairs, positioning it as a major artery for trans-Pacific data traffic.

The project underscores the growing demand for high-capacity, geographically diverse connectivity as cloud providers and enterprises continue to expand their digital infrastructure. By landing in Washington rather than traditional hubs such as Oregon or California, the cable offers a new route that enhances resilience and reduces reliance on congested corridors, a key consideration for operators managing latency-sensitive and mission-critical workloads.

AWS is partnering with Toptana Technologies, an Indigenous-owned infrastructure firm, to develop the Washington segment of the project. Toptana will provide the cable landing station (CLS) and backhaul network services, and has separately broken ground on a new facility in Ocean Shores, Washington. The station is designed to accommodate up to four subsea cable systems and is described as the first new CLS in the state in more than 25 years.

"Building resilient, high-capacity connectivity requires trusted infrastructure partners and a long-term commitment to the communities where that infrastructure is developed," said David Selby, director of global network planning and acquisition at Amazon. "We're pleased to partner with Toptana on the Sta'O'Nuk cable system and to see the Toptana cable landing station move toward construction."

The Japanese landing site has not been disclosed, though an image shared by Amazon suggests the Tokyo area. The company said the landing point will "provide geographical diversity relative to traditional cable corridors," indicating a deliberate effort to avoid single points of failure in the trans-Pacific network.

Toptana, founded in 2022 and wholly owned by the Quinault Indian Nation (QIN), is the only Indigenous-owned cable landing station and backhaul provider on the US West Coast. The Quinault reservation, established in 1855, spans approximately 210,000 acres across Grays Harbor and Jefferson counties in Washington, including 27 miles of contiguous coastline. The Nation is self-governed and represents the Quinault and Queets tribes, along with descendants of five other coastal tribes.

"This groundbreaking represents an investment in the future of the Quinault Indian Nation," said Jeff Capoeman, chairperson of the board of directors of Toptana Technologies. "Through Toptana, we're building infrastructure that creates long-term economic opportunity while strengthening Washington's role in the global digital economy."

The name Sta'O'Nuk means "lightning serpent" in the Quinault language. Toptana said QIN granted AWS permission to use the name for the cable system while preserving its cultural and linguistic significance, a reflection of the collaborative relationship between the tech giant and the tribal nation.

Assured Communications is serving as Toptana's strategic partner, program manager, and operations service provider for the new landing station, supporting planning, development, construction, and long-term facility operations. Joel Ogren, CEO of Assured Communications, noted the importance of sustained cooperation: "Projects like this succeed because of long-term collaboration. Working alongside Toptana and the Quinault Indian Nation, we're helping deliver infrastructure that expands international connectivity while creating lasting benefits for the region."

Toptana first announced its CLS plans in 2022, originally targeting a groundbreaking in 2023 and a launch in 2025. The Ocean Shores facility will now anchor the Sta'O'Nuk system, which becomes the first international subsea cable to land in Washington since 1999, when the Pacific Crossing-1 (PC-1) cable arrived at Harbour Pointe and the Alaska United East (AU-East) cable extended from Lynnwood to Alaska.

The project highlights a broader trend among hyperscale cloud providers to invest directly in subsea infrastructure as a means of securing capacity and controlling network architecture. For AWS, the new cable not only strengthens its global backbone but also deepens its engagement with regional communities, blending infrastructure development with long-term economic and cultural partnerships.