Phase Two for Flag

The Fiber Optic Link Around the Globe (Flag) consortium has entered Phase Two of its undersea construction program. Phase Two of the $790-million project, which should be completed by the third quarter of 1996, runs from Bombay, India, to landing points in Penang, Malaysia; Satun, Thailand; and Sonkhla, Thailand. Flag`s total operation is worth more than $1.5 billion and links three continents on a route connecting business centers and high-growth regions between the United Kingdom and Japan. According to the consortium, which comprises major companies from the United States, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Thailand, 37% of the 16,800-mile cable link is now complete or being constructed. This figure includes a landing at Portcurno in Cornwall, UK, which was completed in May.