WCA September 2011

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Industry news
Asia Pacific Wire & Cable
Corporation Limited increased its
revenue to $121.8m in its first
quarter results – a rise of over 16
per cent. Gross profit also increased
to $13m, a jump of 13.5 per cent
from the first quarter of 2010.
The company recently completed
its annual audit by the leading
global firm, Ernst & Young, and
filed its annual report on form 20-F
ahead deadline.
The company also recently
improved its corporate
governance by appointing a highly
qualified independent director,
who serves on the company’s
Audit Committee, in addition to
improving its standing with
investors through its upgrade to
the NASDAQ Capital Market
exchange.
Asia Pacific Wire & Cable
Corporation Ltd – Taiwan
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Website:
$13m profits leap
Pacific Fibre has signed a deal with
a US-based cable company to build
New Zealand’s second international
internet link.
TE SubCom, who developed the
world’s first transatlantic fibre optic
cable in 1988, will design, construct
and lay Pacific Fibre’s 12,750km
internet pipe between Auckland,
Sydney and Los Angeles.
SubCom is a subsidiary of TE
Connectivity, an electronics company
worth US$12.1 billion.
Pacific Fibre’s trans-Tasman cable,
linking Australia and New Zealand, will
be 2,150km (1,355 miles) long and the
trans-Pacific cable, linking New
Zealand to California, will be
10,600km (6,585 miles) long.
The company argues the cable
system is needed to bring competition
to the international capacity market,
allowing New Zealand to take full
advantage of the Government’s
ultra-fast broadband scheme.
“Demand for international capacity in
Australia and New Zealand is sharply
increasing and is on track to continue
growing for years to come,” said
Pacific Fibre chief executive Mark
Rushworth.
“The Pacific Fibre cable will not only
provide unsurpassed high speed
international connectivity to satisfy
the growth in broadband demand, but
it will also help Australia and New
Zealand realise the potential of both
countries’ multi-billion dollar
broadband initiatives.”
According to Mr Rushworth, the
Pacific Fibre system will be the high-
est-capacity-per-fibre-pair system
ever built. The cables will each have
two fibre pairs, with an ultimate
capacity of 12.8 terabits and, if all
goes to schedule, the cable is due to
be operational by the first quarter of
2014.
Pacific Fibre – New Zealand
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Website:
Pacific Fibre agrees cable deal