By Submarine Cable NewsFeed
NTT Communications (NTT Com) also has announced that it signed a construction and maintenance agreement to participate in a consortium building a new optical fiber cable system – the Trans-Pacific Express Cable Network (TPE).
In the fourth quarter of 2006 the six original consortium participants – CNC, CT, China Unicom, CHT, KT and Verizon – began constructing the southern route, which will direct link the United States and Asia, including Mainland China, South Korea and Taiwan, when it is scheduled to become operational in August 2008. The northern route transiting Japan will be developed under the project's second phase; the Japan-Asia section will become operational during the first quarter of 2009, followed by the Japan-U.S. section, completion of which is expected in early 2010, NTT Com's statement said.
NTT Com will establish and fully manage a new landing station in Japan at a site located near the Tokyo metropolitan area. The landing station will provide flexible connectivity to other major submarine cables in the region.
International communication-related traffic – such as Internet, voice, video and data – has been growing at an exceptional rate over the past few years. TPE will enhance NTT Com's existing ability to provide international capacity within the Asia-Pacific and trans-Pacific markets. NTT Com continues to deliver reliable services and meet customers' increasing demand for voice, video, and data communication.
