Network upgrade delivers an increase of 6.5 terabits per
second data capacity
The Southeast Asia-Japan Cable system, operated by an
international consortium of leading telecommunications and technology companies
that includes Globe Telecom, began implementing a network upgrade to further
enhance capacity amid steady growth in bandwidth demand in the region.
The upgrade to the undersea cable system brings an increase
of 6.5 terabits per second of capacity utilizing the latest 100 gigabits per
second transmission equipment. The sharp increase in transmission technology from
the usual 10 gigabits per second,followed by 40 gigabits per second technology,
underscores the upsurge in internet usage especially mobile internet. Once
completed, the upgrade will set a new benchmark in global data and information
connectivity.
“The upgrade runs parallel with Globe Telecom’s network
transformation initiative. As we optimize our modernized network to further build
capacity, the SJC upgrade allows better network availability and delivery, providing additional support for expanding business
requirements for data,” Globe Chief Operating Officer Gil Genio said.
TE SubCom, an industry pioneer in undersea communications
technology, was commissioned by the SJC consortium to carry out the network
upgrade. Full system construction of the SJC cable
system was completed in June of last year at a project cost of $400 million. Globe
Telecom’s interconnection with the SJC cable system, which strengthened the
country’s connectivity with the region and the rest of the world, was formally
launched in inauguration rites led by President Benigno Aquino and Globe
Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala in September last year.
The undersea cable project consists of 6 fiber pairs with an initial
design capacity of up to 28terabits per second, one of the fastest speeds an
undersea cabling system can provide, to meet bandwidth-intensive applications
such as internet TV, online games and enterprise data exchange. To illustrate, the cable’s design capacity
can support simultaneous streaming of up to 3million high-definition videos.
The SJC is an 8,900-kilometer cable system, which could further
extend to 9,700 kilometers. The cable system links 7 territories that include
Brunei, mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the Philippines,
including the option to link with Thailand.
Aside from
Globe, the SJC consortium is composed of Brunei International Gateway Sendirian
Berhad (BIG), China Mobile International Ltd. (CMI), China Telecommunications
Corporation (China Telecom), China Telecom Global Limited (CTG), Donghwa
Telecom Co. Ltd (DHT) (a subsidiary of Chunghwa Telecom, Co., Ltd.), Google,
KDDI Corporation, Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel), PT
Telekomunikasi Indonesia International (Telin a subsidiary of PT.
Telekomunikasi Indonesia, Tbk), and TOT Public Co., Ltd. (TOT).
