JGA North submarine cable network ready for service
RTI Connectivity Pte. Ltd. and contractor NEC Corp. say construction on the Japan-Guam-Australia North Cable System (JGA North) has completed, rendering the submarine cable network ready for service. The 2,700-km JGA North connects Japan to Guam, and then with JGA South, which enables onward connectivity to Sydney and the Sunshine Coast of Australia.
Singapore-based RTI announced the launch of installation activities on JGA North last September (see “Installation of Japan-Guam-Australia North Cable System begins”). The submarine cable runs between Minami-Boso, Japan, and Piti, Guam, with an initial design capacity of 24 Tbps. That figure will climb to 30 Tbps in the coming year, RTI adds.
"JGA North's on-time completion is extraordinary,” commented Russ Matulich, RTI's CEO. “The subsea cable experts on the ground and at sea overcame obstacle-after-obstacle by closely collaborating - an art that has become a standard practice over many years. It resulted in JGA North's remarkable on-time, and under budget, completion. This exceptional outcome - against all odds - confirms what the industry already knows: money doesn't get cables built, relationships do. RTI is extremely grateful to our many friends that rose up to the challenge, especially the engineering teams, marine experts, and other subject matter experts who are often overlooked. JGA North's success is yours!"
The combination of JGA North and JGA South enable the fastest submarine network route between Japan and Australia, RTI asserts. Construction of JGA South began more than a year prior (see “Construction of 9,500-km Japan-Guam-Australia Cable system begins”) and was deployed by a partnership of NEC and Alcatel Submarine Networks. The submarine cable entered service this past March. The two submarine network links meet at RTI’s GNC neutral cable landing station and data center in Guam. RTI is using Equinix facilities for other parts of the network (see “RTI to connect JGA North, JGA South submarine cables to Equinix data centers”).
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About the Author
Stephen Hardy
Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
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