20,000-km undersea cable

Telecommunications operators from Europe to Southeast Asia are seeking bids to build a 20,000-kilometer undersea cable linking Southeast Asia with the Middle East and Western Europe. The cable will travel along a route similar to that developed by the Nynex-led Fiber Link Around the Globe (FLAG) consortium. France Telecom and Singapore Telecom are the leading investors in the project, known as SEA-WE-ME 3.

The undersea cable will link the U.K., France and Portugal on the west, with Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore on the east. Landings include Italy, Egypt, Djibouti, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Other landings might include Morocco, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey and Oman. Bids are being sought from Alcatel, AT&T, Fujitsu, Kokusai Denshin Denwa, NEC and Maristel SpA.