GlobeNet completes submarine cable system extension to Colombia

Undersea fiber-optic network service provider GlobeNet says it has finished construction of a new extension of its submarine cable system that links Colombia to Miami. Telecom operator UNE EPM Telecomunicaciones, the largest Internet provider in Colombia, will be the anchor tenant for the new route.

The new route, announced last year, extends the footprint of GlobeNet’s existing submarine network to more than 23,500 km, connecting the USA, Venezuela, Brazil, Bermuda, and now Colombia. Alcatel-Lucent supplied the equipment for the new undersea cable link, including the Alcatel-Lucent 1620 Light Manager, which supports 100 Gbps via coherent transmission technology.

Alcatel-Lucent is a longstanding supplier to GlobeNet (see "Oi’s GlobeNet and Alcatel-Lucent complete submarine network upgrade").

In addition to opening a direct path from Colombia to the U.S., the new route also enables GlobeNet to offer the lowest latency route from Colombia to Brazil, the service provider asserts. It also complements GlobeNet’s existing ring-protected service to Colombia.

“We have a strong focus on serving the Latin America region and are committed to supporting Colombia’s growth and development of its ICT infrastructure. GlobeNet is pleased to enter into a strategic agreement with UNE, who is pioneering 4G/LTE and IPTV deployments in their country and will benefit from unsurpassed international capacity to service their growing customer base,” states Erick W. Contag, President and Chief Operating Officer of GlobeNet.

The extension includes a new cable landing station at Barranquilla on Colombia’s Atlantic coast. The station provides open access to terrestrial providers serving Colombia.

“The Latin America region is such a fast-growing market, spurring the need for high-performance networks,” states Philippe Dumont, president of Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks. “The new GlobeNet express route is designed to handle the latest optical submarine technology across the same platform, enabling seamless capacity upgrades as needed to keep up with market demand.”

For more information on high-speed transmission systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.