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Thursday, May 8, 2025
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Laos Begins Transition to Underground Power, Communication Cables

This Week

Laos has launched a new infrastructure project aimed at relocating internet, communication, and low-voltage electricity cables underground. The move is expected to improve public safety, reduce outages, and better organize the country’s utility network.

For years, Laos has faced challenges with its electricity infrastructure, including frequent power outages, storm-damaged utility poles, and fires caused by overloaded or tangled cables. These incidents have disrupted daily life and caused significant property damage across the country.

These fires and outages are often linked to the excessive number of communication cables, signal boxes, and electrical devices mounted on power poles. In some cases, these have caused serious damage and fatalities.

To address these ongoing issues, the Lao government has launched a phased underground cable project. The goal is to improve safety and infrastructure reliability by removing the chaotic web of overhead wires and relocating communication, telecommunication, and 0.4 kV low-voltage power lines underground.

The underground cable project will be implemented in three phases, starting with a 12-kilometer stretch in Vientiane, from Seekhai three junctions to the Presidential Palace, Patuxay Monument, and the National Convention Center at KM 6. 

In the second phase, the project will expand to four key districts in Vientiane Capital: Sikhottabong, Chanthabouly, Xaysettha, and Sisattanak. 

The final phase will extend the initiative to the capital cities of each province, focusing on strengthening inter-provincial connectivity and modernizing the national utility network.

The project is a joint effort between Electricité du Laos and Sisan International Joint Development Sole Co Ltd. The two parties signed an agreement on 5 May to begin technical research and feasibility studies for shifting from overhead to underground systems.

By addressing long-standing issues in the country’s power and communication infrastructure, the initiative aims to provide safer, more reliable service and improve the overall urban environment in Laos.

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