VSNL is SEA-ME-WE4 global consortium cable system network administrator
By VSNL has announced that | 15 Dec 2005
VSNL has announced that it has been chosen as the network administrator for the sophisticated trans-continent cable systems — SEA-ME-WE4 (South East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 4). This is the first time that an Indian company has been chosen as the network administrator for a global consortium cable system. The SEA-ME-WE4 consortium has 16 members.(See: Bharti launches next generation SEA-ME-WE-4 cable system to India)
VSNL also hosts the network operating centre in Mumbai. The twin role of network administrator and hosting the operating centre will enable it to play a key role in the day to day operations of the cable system.
N Srinath, executive director, VSNL, said that VSNL has built and acquired extensive global submarine cable networks, and is well positioned to become a major provider of bandwidth and managed services to carriers and enterprises, globally.
"The fact that sixteen telecommunications companies from different countries across Asia, Africa and Europe have joined hands to build the SEA-ME-WE4 underlines the importance of co-operation in a global world," he said. "With the commissioning of the SEA-ME-WE4 system, we will be able to enhance our network coverage in Asia, Africa and Europe."
A consortium of 16 partners, comprising of leading global telecom carriers, had announced at Dubai on December 13, 2005, the completion and inauguration of the high-capacity fiber-optic submarine cable that stretches from France to Singapore. This latest cable named SEA-ME-WE4 (South East Asia, Middle East and Western Europe), is the fourth in a series connecting three continents over a distance of almost 20,000km having design capacity of 1.28 tera bits per second.
The 16 companies that form the consortium are: Algerie Telecom, Bharti (India), BTTB (Bangladesh), CAT Telecom (Thailand), Etisalat (UAE), France Telecom, MCI, PTCL (Pakistan), Singapore Telecom (SingTel), Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), Saudi Telecom (STC), Telecom Egypt, Telecom Italia Sparkle (Italy), Telekom Malaysia, Tunisia Telecom (Tunisia) and VSNL.
The SEA-ME-WE4 cable has initially been equipped with 160giga bits bandwidth using state-of-the-art DWDM technology along with latest 640giga bits matrix digital cross connect in every station. The system can be upgraded up to its final design capacity of 1.28 tera bits.
VSNL is a leading player in the submarine cable bandwidth business globally. In addition to owning capacity on several cable systems the company has also built the Tata Indicom Cable (India-Singapore) and acquired the undersea cable assets of Tyco Global Network (TGN).