RTI-C, NEC launch of Hong Kong-Guam submarine cable construction

RTI Connectivity Pte. Ltd. (RTI-C) and NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) say that the latter has begun construction of the the Hong Kong - Guam (HK-G) submarine cable system. The submarine network will run 3,900-km with a design capacity of more than 48 Tbps via 100-Gbps wavelengths. The partners expect to finish the undersea cable project in the fourth quarter of 2019.

HK-G will land in Tseung Kwan O (TKO) on the Hong Kong and in Piti, Guam at the recently completed Teleguam Holdings LLC (GTA) cable landing station. The submarine system will land in the same facility as the Southeast Asia - United States Cable System (SEA-US), in which RTI-C also is involved. Funding for the project is coming from the Fund Corporation for the Overseas Development of Japan's ICT and Postal Services Inc. (Japan ICT Fund), along with syndicated loans from Japanese institutions including NEC Capital Solutions Ltd., among others.

RTI-C and its backers expect the new submarine cable to meet growing demands for capacity between Asia and the United States, while complementing other regional submarine cables. HK-G thus will improve network redundancy, increase capacity availability, and ensure reliable connectivity.

"Hong Kong is already an important interconnection point for undersea cables, and Guam is emerging as a key telecommunications hub. By extending HK-G to our SEA-US cable investment in Guam, RTI-C is facilitating a new diverse 100G transpacific cable to better serve our customers' traffic requirements between Asia, the United States and Australia," explained Russ Matulich, RTI-C's president and CEO. "RTI-C's existing investments, and those under current consideration, will enable other cable owners to better utilize their assets by interconnecting with RTI-C in Hong Kong or Guam."

For related articles, visit the Network Design Topic Center.

For more information on high-speed transmission systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer's Guide.