wiredInUSA - April 2014
42
Telekom Malaysia Bhd, together with 14
other international telecommunications
operators, has formed a consortium for the
installation of undersea fiber optic cables
linking Singapore to France.
Its chairman, Datuk Seri Dr Halim Shafie,
reports that the 20,000km cable system
is expected to carry commercial traffic
by early 2016. "The new cable system,
SEA-ME-WE 5, will connect south east
Asia, the Middle East and western Europe
involving 17 countries. It will provide
comprehensive connectivity with the
ability to start or terminate traffic from
point-of-presence in Singapore, Marseilles
and Palermo," he said.
The collaboration partners include
Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company
Ltd, China Mobile International Ltd, China
Global Telecommunications Ltd, China
Network Communications Group Co Ltd,
Emirates Integrated Telecommunications
Co, Orange (formerly France Telecom),
Myanmar Post and Telecom.
The joint venture is part of Telekom
Malaysia's initiative to support the
government's national broadband plan
and the economic transformation program
(ETP).
Undersea
consortium
Fifteenmonths after fire destroyed its original
factory, Oman Fiber Optic Company
(OFOC) has commenced production of
fiber optic cables at its new factory at Al
Rusayl.
Mohammed Bin Harith Al Barashdi, CEO of
OFOC, said that the new plant will cater
to both domestic and export markets,
producing all types of cables for internal
and external usages including all-dielectric
self-supporting (ADSS) fire resistant cables,
non-metallic and metal armored cables.
He continued that OFOC designs various
types of optic cables and all types of
communications networks and networking
projects.
OFOChad posted a net profit of 4.26million
rials for the year 2013, compared with a
net loss of 1.56 million rials in the previous
year. Turnover for the year increased eight
percent over the previous year’s turnover,
despite the halt to cable production
caused by the fire.
Back
in business
Datuk Seri
Dr Halim Shafie