wiredinUSA April 2014

Gaurav Ahluwalia, MD of R&M

Cabling firm gets Advanced

New build cable vessel

Swiss cabling producer Reichle & De-Massari (R&M) has acquired the business activities and operating assets of the Bangalore-based fiber optic products manufacturer Advanced Fiber Systems (AFS). The management and employees of AFS will be transferred to R&M in India. “This acquisition is a key milestone to expand our business in India. We can now actively participate in the growing fiber optic network deployments, fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) roll-outs and data centre projects,” said Laurent Amestoy, executive VP of R&M Asia-Pacific. “AFS has been a certified assembly partner of R&M for many years, so the quality and innovation in fiber optic solutions will continue,” added Gaurav Ahluwalia, MD of R&M. R&M, which began its operations in India in 2006, offers cabling solutions for Cat 5e, Cat 6 and Cat 6A systems, and a range of single-mode (OS1, OS2) and multi-mode (OM3, OM4) fiber optic systems.

DeepOcean UK, a subsidiary of Deep Ocean Group Holding BV, has entered into a seven-year charter agreement with Maersk Supply Services, for a new build cable lay vessel. The vessel is the DOC 8500, a Damen offshore carrier which has been designed specifically to suit DeepOcean’s requirements. The DOC 8500 will extend DeepOcean’s capabilities in the larger cable-laying end of the market, representing a new focus on interconnector projects, in addition to oil and gas sector and renewables work. The specially equipped vessel will be delivered from the Damen Galati yard in Romania. René Berkvens, Damen Shipyards group chief executive officer, said: “We are very proud of being contracted by Maersk Supply Service and DeepOcean for this cable layer. This particular vessel has been adapted in close cooperation with our clients, drawing on the expertise of all three companies to create a state-of-the-art offshore construction vessel.” The 138m long, 27.5m wide DOC 8500 features 2,200m² of unobstructed deck and will have a top speed of 12 knots.

wiredInUSA - April 2014

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