OCTOBER 1, 2008 � Sterlite Technologies Ltd. (search for Sterlite) says it has received a contract from Indian carrier Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL; search for BSNL) to supply fiber-optic cables with what Sterlite asserts is the highest density ever to be deployed in the country. The contract, worth $5 million, is for Sterlite's RIBBON-LITE 288F ribbon fiber-optic cables, which BSNL will initially install in about 100 city sites across India in the rapidly growing FTTx applications sector.
This is the first time that fiber-optic cables higher than 144 fibers will be deployed in India. Ribbon cables are designed to provide an efficient means to achieve high fiber density and reduce the time per fiber required for installation, thus facilitating quick roll-out of a network. Sterlite says it has supplied more than 60% of India's requirements for such cables since 2003.
Says K.S. Rao, COO, Telecom Business at Sterlite, "Higher computer penetration, greater usage of the Internet, coupled with emergence of content-rich business applications have resulted in an exponential increase in demand for bandwidth. In 2008, the number of broadband subscribers in India has grown by nearly 65% over that in 2007, and India is currently positioned as the fourth largest consumer of optical fiber in the world. As industry leaders, we work closely with leading telecom incumbents in the country to develop solutions that would create a future-proof platform capable of supporting the demand for bandwidth-intense applications. We are honored to be chosen as partners in India's telecom revolution."
To keep up with the growth in demand from the Indian and global telecom and power sectors, Sterlite says it is doubling the manufacturing capacity at its optical fiber facility to 12 million km, tripling the manufacturing capacity at its fiber-optic cables facility to 6 million-km, and increasing the manufacturing capacity by 40% at its power conductors facility to 160,000M T/year. Sterlite adds that all of its capacity expansion programs are well underway and are scheduled to be completed within the current fiscal year.
Visit Sterlite Technologies
Visit BSNL