ASC Signs Contract with Alcatel-Lucent to Build Submarine Cable Between Australia and Singapore

ASC, a specialist submarine cable subsidiary of Leighton Contractors, has signed a contract with Alcatel-Lucent as part of ASC’s plan to build, own and operate a 4,800km multi-terabit submarine cable system with an option for 100 Gigabit per second (100Gbit/s) transmission.

The new system will link Perth, Australia, to Singapore, providing high-speed connection from Australia to South East Asia.

The first phase of the project involving detailed design, route survey and permitting in Australia, Indonesia and Singapore is already underway. The second phase subject to permitting requirements and final board approval involves the construction of the cable system and is expected to start in the first quarter 2012 and commercial operation is planned for 2013.

The 4,800km submarine cable system will link Australia to Singapore, through the Sunda Strait in Indonesia providing potential for the first 100Gbit/s high-speed connection from Western Australia to South East Asia.

Providing around eight times more capacity than similar regional routes, the system design will use D+ fibre, the latest innovative technology and has an ultimate capacity of at least 6 Tbit/s and over 16 Tbit/s with the 100Gbit/s option.

Peter McGrath, Chairman of Australia-Singapore Cable (International) Limited and Executive General Manager of Leighton Telecommunications said “We are delighted to be undertaking this venture to meet the ever growing demand for high quality, high speed telecommunications infrastructure in the region.”

“This new cable system will fill the much needed gap in the market place connecting Australia via the Indian Ocean to Singapore and offering a more cost effective, higher capacity and lower latency route than alternative east coast routes.”

“The wet segment will terminate in Perth, Western Australia at a new Metronode Data Centre at Shenton Park. From Perth, traffic will be transported across NextGen Network’s highly complementary terrestrial network to Sydney, providing competitive International wholesale services from both Australia’s East and West Coasts to Singapore. Importantly this will enable end to end services from Singapore to Sydney, at 10Gbit/s, 40Gbit/s and eventually 100Gbit/s speeds” said Mr McGrath.

“We have strong support from our key supplier Alcatel-Lucent who will design, construct and install the submarine cable system. The technology chosen for this project ensures that it is future proof and can meet the projected demand for data traffic in coming years.”

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Source: leighton,May 11, 2011;