Thursday, Mar 22, 2012
Gulf News
Dubai Tata Communications Ltd (TCL) has become the first company to wholly own a cable network ring around the world by investing $800 million (Dh2.93 billion), Vinod Kumar, managing director and CEO of TCL, said.
He said the 9,280km Tata Global Network — Eurasia (TGN-EA) fibre-optic cable seamlessly links markets across Asia, Middle East, the US and Europe to meet rising traffic demand.
The cable connects Europe to India via Egypt, bringing increased capacity, resilience and enhanced communications links to not only the Middle East, but to the rest of the world.
Speaking on the sidelines of the third Global Media and Analyst Summit in Dubai, Kumar said the network traffic is growing strongly as the world is focusing on emerging markets.
“The companies in the emerging markets are going global. Right now you have 100 Fortune companies in emerging markets while it was only 20 firms in 2005,” he said.
He said the infrastructure is needed as global IT and telecom spending is expected to grow at an annual growth rate of five per cent to $4 trillion in 2015.
He said: “Our customers, whether a European auto-manufacturer, an Asian hotel group or a large US financial services firm, need to compete in global markets and are demanding faster and more reliable worldwide connectivity. Companies and carriers in developed and emerging economies require the confidence and security delivered by a wholly-owned network such as Tata Communications’ TGN.”
Cable system
He also said the second section of the TNG — Gulf subsea cable system that will connect the Gulf to Mumbai, India, and onward to the rest of the Tata Global Network (TGN) started work in February.
“The first section from Mumbai to Oman was completed in October 2011 and the third section from Kuwait to Iraq is under planning,” Radwan Moussalli, MD, regional head of TCL Mena and Turkey, said.
The TGN-Gulf cable system will initially offer speeds of up to 10G and a greater geographical reach for TCL customers, providing a critical backbone for economic development in the Gulf region.
He said the cable does not pass through the Strait of Hormuz, where most cable cuts happen.
He said it is the first TGN cable to serve the Gulf region and provide carriers and businesses with a direct route into the emerging markets of the Gulf. The cable will provide companies based in the region, and those looking to expand into these markets, with business-critical capacity for broadband data and high quality voice services.
Our customers, whether a European auto-manufacturer, an Asian hotel group or a large US financial services firm, need to compete in global markets and are demanding faster and more reliable worldwide connectivity.”
Vinod Kumar
Managing director and CEO of TCL
By Naushad K. Cherrayil?Staff reporter
Gulf News 2012. All rights reserved.
