Hatif Libya to deploy Infinera ASON technology
Hatif Libya, a subsidiary of the Libyan Telecommunication Holding Co. (LPTIC), announced the signing of a multimillion-dollar agreement with Infinera (NASDAQ: INFN) for the supply of Automatically Switched Optical Network (ASON) technology. The deal is positioned as a major step forward in economic relations between Libya and U.S.; Abdelhamid AlDabaiba, head of the National Unity Government, and U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Richard Norland, attended the signing ceremony alongside representatives of the two companies.
“We view this exciting new partnership between Hatif Libya and Infinera as a major steppingstone towards strong Libyan-American economic relations. It highlights the welcome return of American companies to Libya to assist in the completion of stalled projects. Deals like this are the cornerstone of a diversified, robust economy of the future,” said Prime Minister AlDabaiba at the signing.
The network upgrade will help establish Libya as an important communications hub between Europe and Africa, Hatif Libya asserts. Once deployed, the ASON fiber network technology will upgrade the transmission capacities and cybersecurity of 60 sites throughout the country. The network is expected to support operational capacities of 600 Gbps on the Mediterranean coast and 200 Gbps in the southern region, with headroom to expand to 9 Tbps.
"The partnership with Infinera boosts LPTIC’s commitment to providing improved connectivity services and is an important milestone in our strategic goal of digital transformation. This contract will strengthen the telecommunications sector in all regions of the country and will help boost our economy. We see this early cooperation as a signal of what’s ahead for the telecommunications sector, and we fully intend to pursue more partnerships with the U.S.,” commented Faisel Gergab, chairman of the board of directors at LPTIC, who attended the signing ceremony. “It’s very important to us that this project contributes to stability and democracy in Libya, and we are supporting the High Electoral Commission ahead of December 24 elections by facilitating voter registration and auditing polling operations, to help pave the way to a peaceful, democratic transfer of power.”
"We are pleased to announce this strategic partnership with Hatif Libya, which represents a key foundation of the Libyan telecom sector. Working together, we can build a telecommunications infrastructure that will meet current and future needs,” added David Heard, CEO of Infinera, who also attended the ceremony. “We are looking forward to establishing a successful long-term relationship based on our technology innovations, industry expertise, and committed partnership. We are thrilled to be entering Libya and to be working closely with our Libyan partners to deliver a best-in-class solution.”
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.
To stay abreast of fiber network deployments, subscribe to Lightwave’s Service Providers and Datacom/Data Center newsletters.
Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.