360networks lights transatlantic cable

(Telephony) Broadband network services provider 360networks said yesterday its completed an underwater cable connecting the United States, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

The company said the 7300-mile 360atlantic network was completed on schedule and $80 million under the projected $850 million budget.

The network consists of four parts, which connect: Boston to Halifax, Nova Scotia; Halifax to Dublin; Halifax to Liverpool and Dublin to Liverpool.

The company said the network is the first multi-terabit transatlantic system with a fully protected ring configuration, supporting 10 gigabits per second of data on a single channel.

Additionally, 360atlantic is the only transatlantic cable directly linking North America and Ireland and is the first to offer 1.92 terabits per second system capacity, the company said.

The Vancouver-based company is developing a fiber optic network covering 89,000 miles around the globe by mid-2002. The 360atlantic segment fits into the larger global goal to link more than 100 major cities worldwide.

360networks also is building 360americas, which connects the United States, Brazil, Argentina and Bermuda; 360pacific, a transpacific network linking the United States, Canada and Japan; and 360asia, which is being developed jointly with Singapore Telecommunications subsidiary C2C.

360networks announced yesterday that it had been granted a license to own and operate telecommunications infrastructure in Singapore. It is the first of six licenses the company said it would obtain in Asia this year.

The company said the 360asia network would span 13,600 miles and connect Singapore with Hong Kong, China, the Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan by the end of the year.

A spokeswoman said 360americas is scheduled for completion by early next year and 360pacific will be completed in mid-2002. She said the vast majority of the North American network is in service but would be completed in the second quarter this year.

When finished, the spokeswoman said the network would be one of the largest in the world, paralleled only by Global Crossing.

“In terms of having a global network with that route mileage, we’re looking at the middle of 2002, but many of the components are up and running today or will be shortly,” spokeswoman said. “We will have a pretty impressive network by the middle of next year, and few companies will be able to rival it.”