Alcatel has been chosen as the sole supplier for a US$265 million (??239 million) undersea cable project to bring high quality international connectivity to many countries in Africa.
The new network in the Atlantic, called SAT-3/WASC, will total nearly 14,000 km and will comprise an express route between South Africa, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Senegal and Portugal as well as a number of spurs, or branches, giving high speed access to Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon and Angola.
The contract for the project was awarded by the ten landing parties and a number of other operators including BT, Cable and Wireless, Teleglobe (USA) and AT&T, and the network is scheduled for completion in early 2001.
Alcatel will be utilising its wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) technology so that the capacity of the network may be increased as traffic demands dictate. Initially, the backbone, express, route will operate at 20 Gbit/s with a capability to upgrade to at least 40 Gbit/s in the future. However, an option also exists for the system to be expanded to 120 Gbit/s.
In addition to supplying the undersea network, Alcatel has also been commissioned to supply an overall integrated network management solution between SAT-3/WASC and SAFE, a project recently contracted for a system between South Africa, Reunion, Mauritius, India and Malaysia. On completion, these combined routes could be used as a back-up, or restoration path, for part of the SEA-ME-WE 3 network between Asia and Europe.
Mr. Christian Reinaudo, chief executive of Alcatel`s submarine networks business stated, "Work has been in hand for some time in an attempt to find a solution to improving international connectivity to as many countries on the African continent as possible. I am delighted that Alcatel has been chosen to play a major part in this historic development."
The SAT-3/WASC network continues Alcatel`s major presence in Africa, particularly to its western coastline. Not only has Alcatel supplied both the previous SAT links, it is also currently completing Atlantis-2 linking Africa with South America and Europe, and supplied Eurafrica between Europe and North Africa in 1992.
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Alcatel
Alcatel builds next generation networks, delivering integrated end-to-end voice and data solutions to established new carriers, as well as enterprises and consumers worldwide. With 120,000 employees and sales of EURO 21.3 billion (US$25.0 billion), Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries. For more information, visit Alcatel on Internet: http:/www.alcatel.com
Alcatel is the world`s leading integrated submarine networks supplier, able to offer turnkey solutions to its customers. Not only does Alcatel lead the world in terms of technology for undersea systems with 1.28 Tbit/s capacities, it has the largest manufacturing capacity at 80,000 km per year and is able to control installation schedules through its long-term leasing of four purpose-designed vessels. The company is currently working on a number of contracts around the world valued at some US$3.1 billion, most of which utilise WDM technology. Current contracts include the most advanced undersea networks in the world today; Atlantica-1, FLAG Atlantic-1, Atlantis-2 and Columbus-3 systems in the Atlantic, the China-US, Japan-US and Southern Cross transpacific systems, and the MAC and MAYA-1 systems in the Americas.
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