wiredInUSA August 2016

Cable offers subsea security

Asian collaboration

Viettel has invested $50 million in an AAE-1 subsea fiber optic cable offshore station at Vũng Tàu, Vietnam, set to begin operation by the end of the year. The 2Tb per second cable, which is 23,000km long, will connect Asia, Africa and Europe, with offshore stations in, among others, Hong Kong, Singapore and France. Total investment for the system is $820 million, with 20 telecommunication companies from 18 countries providing funds. The cable will play an important role in Viettel’s international connection infrastructure, meeting demand for international bandwidth in Vietnam and serving connections with Europe and several African countries, including Tanzania and Burundi. The connection with the AAE-1 fiber optic cable will increase safety and stabilization for Viettel’s international network connectionas well as national information security. Vietnamese telecommunication enterprises are currently connected through several different subsea cables including the 20,000km AAG, which has suffered from intermittent problems and frequent repairs.

Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd has concluded a sales partnering agreement withWaminnGroup(WaMinn)ofMyanmar, with a view to expanding the market for low and medium voltage cables in the country. Overseas investment has grown steadily since a new Myanmar government was established in March 2016, while the development of infrastructure, such as roads, ports, railroads, electric power and communications, has posed a great challenge. While Myanmar’s electrification rate is approximately 35 percent at present, the country aims to achieve 100 percent by 2030, with resulting growth in the demand for electric power. Accordingly, the expectation is that the electrical infrastructure market will grow substantially in Myanmar. To take advantage of this opportunity, Sumitomo Electric concluded its partnering agreement with Wa Minn. Sumitomo Electric is looking to strengthen its collaboration with Wa Minn to expand its business in Myanmar, and thereby contribute to the further development of the country.

wiredInUSA - August 2016

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