APRIL 8, 2008 -- Telstra (search for Telstra) and Alcatel-Lucent (search for Alcatel-Lucent) today demonstrated a new 9,000-km submarine cable that will dramatically increase Internet capacity between Australia and the United States, say the companies.
The new cable, which will be landed at Tamarama Beach this week, can be scaled up to 1.28 Tbits/sec capacity between the two countries. At full capacity of 1.28 Tbits/sec, the cable is capable of carrying 160,000 concurrent high-definition television channels, notes Telstra.
"The explosion of user-generated online content means we need more capacity than ever before with the United States, which is already the destination for two-thirds of all Australian traffic on the Internet," reports Kate McKenzie, group managing director, Telstra Wholesale.
"This cable is the largest ever built and owned by an Australian company," she adds. "It's another example of Telstra investing to ensure Australia can enjoy the health care, education, and productivity benefits made possible by high-speed broadband technology."
Alcatel-Lucent began laying the cable between Sydney and Hawaii earlier this year. Work will continue to lay the cable across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii, and the cable will be operational by the end of 2008. From Hawaii, the cable will interconnect with the new Asia America Gateway cable and other existing cables that provide direct access to the mainland United States.
Hilary Mine, Alcatel-Lucent's managing director Australasia and North Asia, says the new project strengthens its enduring relationship with Telstra. "As Telstra's wireline partner, Alcatel Lucent is delighted to celebrate this latest milestone in dramatically enhancing Australia's communications capacity," she contends.
Telstra says the increased capacity will enable its wholesale and retail customers to enjoy:
• Higher Internet speeds and greater security when they access information from the United States on Telstra's Next G network and through BigPond, and when they use services such as telecommuting and videoconferencing; and
• An expanded range and quality of services for business customers, including advanced multimedia and e-commerce applications and more intelligent network services.
According to McKenzie, Telstra first invested in Next G wireless broadband and ADSL2+ fixed broadband, and now the company is investing in undersea cables to give its customers the best experience possible. "All of these investments are occurring where there are benefits for customers, and where Telstra can make a commercial return on its investment," she confirms.
Visit Alcatel-Lucent
Visit Telstra