Press Release
Low-latency route between Hong Kong and U.S. to be completed by summer 2018
EATONTOWN, N.J., USA and HONG KONG, Oct. 12, 2016 – TE SubCom, a TE Connectivity Ltd. company and an industry pioneer in undersea communications technology, along with Facebook, Google, and PLDC (Pacific Light Data Communication Co. Ltd.), today announced that they will co-build the Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN), a 12,800 km transpacific submarine cable system that will provide the first direct undersea route between Hong Kong and Los Angeles, California (USA) with ultra-high capacity transmission.
Scheduled for commercial launch in summer of 2018, PLCN will include TE SubCom’s C+L technology, a major step forward in available cable transmission capacity that effectively doubles the available bandwidth and capacity per fiber pair over a traditional C-band-only designed system. Once completed, PLCN will be the highest-capacity transpacific route.
“PLCN will be among the lowest-latency fiber optic routes between Hong Kong and the U.S. and the first to connect directly using ultra-high-capacity transmission,” said Mr.Wei Junkang, the chairman of PLDC. “It is certainly gratifying that global technology companies like Google and Facebook have become co-investors in PLCN. It is a strong signal that PLCN will be trusted to address the capacity needs for internet and international communications services throughout the Pacific Rim. We envision this deployment as the initial step in PLDC’s construction of a global network.”
“PLCN will showcase the ultra-high-capacity designs and industry-leading wet plant technologies that have enabled TE SubCom to become the manufacturing partner of choice for the world’s most advanced undersea networks,” said Aaron Stucki, president of TE SubCom.
About PLDC
Pacific Light Data Communication Co., Limited (PLDC), a new company located in Hong Kong, the heart of Asia, is set to become a leading regional broadband communications service provider that will build and operate the first subsea cable directly connecting Hong Kong and the US. We offer highly reliable, comprehensive end-to-end solutions bringing together state-of-the-art technologies, to support our customers with instant access to the world.
About TE SubCom
TE SubCom (SubCom), a TE Connectivity Ltd. company, is an industry pioneer in undersea communications technology and marine services, and a leading global supplier for today’s undersea communications requirements. As a vertically integrated supplier, SubCom designs, manufactures, deploys, and maintains the industry’s most reliable fiber optic cable systems. Its solutions include long-haul and regional systems, repeaterless networks, capacity upgrades, offshore oil and gas, and scientific research applications. SubCom brings end-to-end network knowledge and global experience to support on-time delivery and the needs of customers worldwide. To date, the company has deployed more than 100 cable systems and enough subsea communication cable to circle the globe 15 times at the equator.