PTC '07 Hosts Deal's Contenders
HONOLULU, Dec. 21 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Between the U.S. and Asia, a
battle looms over the rights to carry information -- in the form of high-
speed underwater cable or satellite -- between Asia's booming economy and
the U.S. A number of contenders, representing opposing consortiums in the
race to be the world's first Asian-American high-speed superhighway, will
converge in Honolulu January 14 - 17 at Pacific Telecommunication Council's
(PTC) 2007 Conference Beyond Telecom.
Some experts say only one consortium will emerge because multiple high
speed cables may flood capacity. The prize at stake: the first in the
market will gain the earliest opportunity to woo Asia's highly coveted
customer base. Demand for a variety of high-capacity applications including
IPTV, online gaming, and business process outsourcing will be enhanced by
2008 Olympics in Beijing and the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.
Renowned submarine cable expert and newly elected member to PTC's Board
of Governors John Hibbard, CEO of Australia's Hibbard Consulting Pty. Ltd.,
will lead one of two keynote forums on the topic: Innovations for the Asia
Pacific Region. "Submarine cable technology is a rapidly evolving
industry," he said. "High technology companies around the world are
knocking on China's door for a chance at the immense telecommunications
business that is emerging," he said. China has been tightly controlled by
the government, and any foreign company wanting access to the market is
required to work with an existing Chinese carrier. "The new multi-national
deals being forged now will lay the groundwork for one of the biggest
telecommunications opportunities on the world's horizon," he said. "We are
honored to host the global industry leaders at PTC '07."
Verizon Business -- which will be represented at PTC '07 -- currently
leads the race to Asia with its recently signed deal with Asia consortium
members Chunghwa Telecom Co., China Netcom, China Telecom, China Unicom and
KT Corp. Most members of the consortium will be represented at PTC '07.
The anticipated start date of Verizon's project, dubbed the Trans-Pacific
Express, is just around the corner in early 2007.
It will create capacity for future internet growth, video-conferencing,
and e-commerce while supporting the equivalent of 62 million simultaneous
voice calls and will increase, by 60-fold, the undersea capacity between
China and the U.S. A new direct link between the two world economies, whose
existing low capacity cable has routed data through Hong Kong and Japan,
will be forged. Expected price tag: $500 million.
At the same time, Asia Netcom -- whose CEO Bill Barney will deliver a
keynote presentation at PTC '07: Beyond the Bubble and into a New Reality --
is reportedly talking with an unnamed Indian carrier about a proposed link
between the Philippines, Guam, Hawaii, the mainland U.S. and Japan.
According to those reports, the company has already raised $800 million for
the project.
Other groups on Verizon's heels include AT&T, also to be represented at
PTC '07. AT&T is reported to be considering an alliance with the Telekom
Malaysia-backed Asia-America Gateway -- currently linking various ASEAN
nations to the U.S.
Opening Plenary speakers include:
-- Srinath Narasimhan, Executive Director, VSNL India
-- Shin Cho, Senior VP & Head of Strategy & Planning Group, SK Telecom
-- Larry Keeley, President, Doblin, Inc.
PTC '07 will be held at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu. Space
is limited. Online registration is available at www.ptc07.org . Interviews
with keynote speakers can be arranged through the Pacific Telecommunications
Council contacts listed above.
PTC '07 is presented by Pacific Telecommunications Council and co-hosted
by Stealth Communications Inc., Telus, Tyco, Verizon Business International
Partner Solutions (IPS), VSNL International, Arbinet, Asia Netcom, AT&T,
CPCNet Hong Kong Ltd, France Telecom Group, GCI, Intelsat Ltd., Loral
Skynet, Macquarie Telecom, Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, Qwest
Communications, Korea Telecom (KT), PacketFront, REDCOM Laboratories,
Redline Communications, Boeing Satellite Systems International, China
Telecom USA, CITIC 1616, Level 3 Communications Inc., Pacific Crossing
Limited (PCL), and SubOptic.
Founded in 1980, Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC) is an
international, non-profit, non-government membership organization based in
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. Its mission is to promote the development,
understanding, and beneficial use of telecommunications and information
technology throughout the Pacific region. PTC creates opportunities for
networking and the sharing of ideas and information through its annual
telecommunications conference, regional seminars, and various activities and
task groups.
Contact:
Mark Hukill, Senior Advisor
Pacific Telecommunications Council
Tel: +1-808-941-3789, ext. 112
Email: mark@ptc.org
Julie Ford, President
Schweitzer Consulting, LLC
Tel: +1-808-947-4269
Mobile: +1-808-384-3386
Email: schweitzerconsulting@hawaii.rr.com