Combined Network Offers Enhanced Route Diversity and Added Protection for Next-Generation Connectivity and Data Services
SINGAPORE, Sept. 13 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Connect Holdings Limited (Connect) today announced the successful operational merger of Asia Netcom's EAC system and the C2C network, with Asia Netcom taking full operational control of both entities.
(Logo: http://www.prnasia.com/sa/200701051921.jpg )
The integration of these two networks into a single system -- with dual landings and 33 PoPs (Points-of-Presence) in key markets -- marks a new milestone in the company's focus on strengthening its position as the region's leading provider of next-generation communications solutions.
"Connect's vision and strategy is driven by an increased demand for network capacity in the region and we will invest accordingly to match the requirements of the market," said Bill Barney, a director of Connect and Asia Netcom's CEO. "Leveraging the combined EAC and C2C network will not only strengthen our position to accommodate the region's growth, but also be a foundation upon which we will build our next-generation network with focus on service innovation and technology leadership."
The combined EAC and C2C network platform has a US$4 billion replacement value with a retail value of US$10.3 billion in today's market. The integrated infrastructure also gives the company management flexibility while offering industry-leading infrastructure resiliency and enhanced route diversity and protection.
"Having full operational control of both networks means we have the unique ability to react quickly to address market trends, including bandwidth and platform upgrades," said Wilfred Kwan, Asia Netcom's President and CTO. "We also have immediate access to the infrastructure for everyday maintenance and performance monitoring."
Kwan added, "On a more technical level, we are upgrading the integrated core network platform with GMPLS (Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching), which will enable a new set of features such as meshed protection on the optical layer, auto-provisioning, and optimized routing of traffic to support latency-sensitive applications such as video and IPTV."
The combined EAC-C2C infrastructure enables Asia Netcom to strengthen its PoPs and Cable Landing Station resilience through full interconnection between the two systems. At this time, interconnections to the combined network have been established in Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan. Together, the two networks span more than 36,800 km across key markets in Asia Pacific including China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and the Philippines and has a total design capacity of 10.24Tbps.
About Connect Holdings Limited
Connect Holdings Limited's major shareholders include Ashmore Investment Management Limited, Spinnaker Capital Group and Clearwater Capital Partners --together they own 100% of Asia Netcom and C2C in addition to 88% of
Nasdaq-listed Pacific Internet Limited.
About Asia Netcom
Winner of the TelecomAsia Award 2007 for "Best Wholesale Carrier" award in 2007, Asia Netcom operates an extensive telecommunications network infrastructure in the Asia Pacific region, including a privately-owned subsea cable system, EAC, as well as extensive terrestrial backhauls and telehouses in all key Asian markets. Leveraging these strategic assets, Asia Netcom provides a comprehensive portfolio of city-to-city connectivity, data communications and IP-based solutions and services to enterprise, ISP and carrier customers in the Asia Pacific region. The company is headquartered in Hong Kong with local offices in all major Asian markets, the US and Europe. For more information, please visit: http://www.asianetcom.com .
About C2C
Spanning 17,000 km across major markets in Asia Pacific, the C2C network has a design capacity of 7.68Tbps and delivers self-healing fully diversified city-to-city connectivity across the region. The network is now under operational management by Asia Netcom with network integration with EAC underway.
For more information, contact:
Lorain Wong
Asia Netcom
Tel: +852-2121-2973
Email: lorain.wong@asianetcom.com
