wiredinUSA October 2013

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wiredInUSA - October 2013 41 ASIA / AFRICA NEWS
The Philippine telecommunications
provider, Globe Telecom, has completed
the rollout of a submarine fiber optic
backbone in Palawan, Philippines. The
400km undersea cable system serves as a
transmission system of telecommunication
services between the province and the
main island of Luzon, enhancing Palawan's
connectivity with the country and the rest
of the world.
The Palawan cable system will provide
high-speed Internet connection and
a network for text and voice calls. The
undersea cable system is designed to
transmit 40 wavelengths at 40GB per
second capacity per fiber pair and
is upgradable to 100GB per second
DWDM system, allowing the company to
accommodate future traffic growth.
The Palawan cable system has a total
transmissioncapacityof 19.2TBper second.
The transmission upgrade in Palawan
forms part of Globe Telecom's $700 million
network transformation initiative, involving
the nationwide roll-out of around 12,000km
of optical fiber lines.
Undersea cable
for Palawan
German manufacturer SMS Meer has
upgraded the core components of a
wire rod mill at Amsteel Mills in Banting,
Malaysia. The modernization is anticipated
to roll surface quenched and tempered
rebars at up to 105 meters per second. The
original plant was delivered by Danieli in
1995.
SMS Meer replaced the plant's ten-stand
wire rod block, high-speed loop laying
head, and the water-cooling section. A
process model for optimum temperature
control will now ensure that the demanded
microstructure properties are reliably
achieved while maintaining the close
tolerances.
Amsteel belongs to the steel division of
the Lion Group, a conglomerate with
headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and one of
the largest companies in Malaysia.
Amsteel upgrades wire
rod mill