Ocean Networks has teamed up with French networking giant Alcatel-Lucent to complete the construction of a 14,200 km submarine cable system linking Hawaii to South America.
A major infrastructure project for the region’s digital economy, the cable system will connect Oahu, Hawaii with Balboa, Panama and Santiago, Chile, enabling carriers to offer cost-effective high-speed broadband service in the region.
Above all, analysts say, the cable system – named South America Pacific Link (SAPL) –will enhance international connectivity in South American countries as well as the Asia-Pacific region.
Alcatel claims that the 100 Gbit/s SAPL system will have a capacity of 10 terabits-per-second on each of its three fiber pairs.
Columbus International, which was recently acquired by Cable and Wireless, is also involved in this project. Columbus has agreed to provide a landing place and to help design and construct the cable station, and provide network operations and management services.
Thanks to its point of presence in Hawaii – a hub for many transpacific submarine cable systems – SAPL will also provide a diverse route to the U.S. West Coast and a low latency route from Central and South America to the Asia-Pacific region, in particular to Australia and New Zealand.
According to an Alcatel press release, the cable system is also designed for further connectivity via branching units to Manta, Ecuador; Lima, Per;u and Arica, Chile.
“This project is very significant as the SAPL system will fulfill a long-standing need of the markets of Central and South America for connectivity to the Asia Pacific region by interconnecting with existing and planned submarine cable systems,” said Scott J. Schwertfager, CEO at Ocean Networks.
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