Tata Communications rings world with fiber

Tata Communications (NYSE: TCL) says that with the recent launch of the Tata Global Network - Eurasia (TGN-EA) cable, it now owns the world’s first around-the-world fiber-optic cable network.

"Our customers, whether a European auto-manufacturer, an Asian hotel group or a large U.S. financial services firm, need to compete in global markets and are demanding faster and more reliable worldwide connectivity,” asserts Vinod Kumar, managing director and CEO, Tata Communications. “Companies and carriers in developed and emerging economies require the confidence and security delivered by a wholly owned network such as Tata Communications' TGN."

The round-the-world ring also offers city-to-city connections, which Tata says contrasts with more traditional networks that only link cable-landing stations. Tata says its approach is more cost-effective and flexible, and provides a faster time to market delivery, as well as being easier to maintain and manage.

TGN-EA reached completion with the launch of the TGN-Gulf subsea cable system that will connect the Gulf to Mumbai, India and onward to the rest of the Tata Global Network (TGN). In partnership with Nawras of Oman, Etisalat of UAE, Qtel of Qatar, Bahrain Internet Exchange of Bahrain, and Mobily of Saudi Arabia, the TGN cable system is the first TGN cable to serve the Gulf region and will offer network access to UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. The cable will provide carriers and businesses with a direct route into the emerging markets of the Gulf region.

The 9,280-km TGN-EA system links Europe and India, running across the Mediterranean and the Middle East. The low-latency network offers customers a round-trip delay of around 92 msec with speeds from 2 Mbps to 10 Gbps.