As they find it increasingly difficult to partner with Western network operators, China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom have banded together to deploy their own submarine cable system that will connect Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, Reuters reports. -backed project, four people involved in the deal told Reuters. The NCP cable system consists seven fiber pairs, initially. Reuters reports that China state-owned telecom firms are developing a $500 million undersea fiber-optic internet cable network that would link Asia, the Middle East and Europe to rival a similar U.