Gulf Bridge International signs Xtera Communications for terrestrial, undersea 100G

Middle Eastern carrier-neutral network services provider Gulf Bridge International (GBI) has signed Xtera Communications to a multi-year, sole source contract to supply optical transport equipment. Xtera Communications will support GBI's 100G networking requirements on both terrestrial and submarine routes in Europe, the Mediterranean, and North Africa.

Xtera will exercise full turnkey responsibilities and deploy its full portfolio of optical networking products.

GBI is a private company dedicated to connecting all the nations of the Gulf Region to one another and to the rest of the world, using the latest fiber-optic technologies. The GBI cable will be developed and owned by GCC investors.

"Xtera Communications has an impressive collection of technology that allows the company to address both our terrestrial and submarine networks requirements using the same platform at 100G. GBI will benefit both from their innovative technology and global deployment experience," said Ahmed Mekky, board member and CEO of GBI. "This investment demonstrates our commitment to ensure that the Gulf Region has the communications infrastructure required to be a strategic commercial hub."

"We are installing one of the most advanced networks to connect Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The deployment of Xtera's technology will reinforce our preeminent position in this market as an industry leader," added Samih Kawar, GBI’s CTO.

"GBI is a forward-looking company with ambitious network plans that are well suited for our technology. Our use of Raman and 100G allows them to increase the capacity of their targeted markets, while simplifying deployments and driving down costs," said Jon Hopper, president and CEO, Xtera Communications.

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