Xtera to supply systems for Silk Route Gateway 1 undersea cable

Multinet Pakistan and Omantel have signed an agreement with optical transport systems vendor Xtera Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: XCOM) to the supply of technology and services toward the deployment of the Silk Route Gateway 1 (SRG-1) undersea cable system. The submarine network will connect Muscat in Oman to Karachi in Pakistan, with a future extension to Gwadar in Pakistan.

Xtera will supply elements of its turnkey submarine cable system portfolio, including Nu-Wave Optima submarine line terminal equipment (SLTE), undersea optical repeaters, undersea branching units, fiber-optic cable, all marine services, project management, installation, and commissioning.

“The SRG-1 project is our ambition to restore the significance of the traditional silk route by establishing a digital gateway to the most budding telecom markets of the Asian subcontinent,” said Rashid Shafi, senior executive vice president and chief strategy officer at Multinet Pakistan, an Axiata Group Subsidiary. “This new cable will fuel the massively growing demands of the Pakistani market and will bring up an unprecedented reach to China, Afghanistan, and Central Asia.”

“SRG-1 is another reflection of our commitment to the global carrier community to offer them with the most efficient routes,” added Sohail Qadir, vice president of Omantel Wholesale. “The SRG-1 bridges Asia to Africa and the West through a low-latency network, and we anticipate this to evolve as the telecom world’s primary access to the region.”

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