Asia Netcom Revamps Tokyo MAN

TOKYO -- Asia Netcom, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the China Netcom Group, today announced plans to revamp it's existing Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) in Tokyo. Under the scope of the plan, Asia Netcom will migrate its current leased network platform to a new wholly-owned DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) platform in order to increase network capability. The upgrade is expected to be completed by January 2005.

"The new platform will serve as a key component of our strategy to drive more efficiency and performance from our core network," said Bill Barney, President and Chief Operating Officer of Asia Netcom. "This is part of our company-wide vision to leverage cutting edge technology in order to enhance our service capabilities to our customers."

Barney added: "The new Tokyo Metropolitan Area Network will dramatically enhance our ability to serve our Japanese customers. The new network, combined with our unique relationship with our parent, China Netcom, now gives Japanese companies a powerful solution to link up their manufacturing centers and growing customer base inside China."

Asia Netcom currently operates five PoPs in Tokyo, Japan. Previously, these locations were interconnected using leased lines. The new DWDM platform will be deployed on a fiber infrastructure that is wholly-owned by Asia Netcom. The new network, which also extends the company's Tokyo MAN to cover the NF Park PoP, will link to Asia Netcom's national backhaul connecting Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka to EAC - the company's wholly-owned 19,500km regional submarine cable system connecting Japan with Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, Singapore and soon China through a planned extension to Qingdao.

The new Tokyo MAN gives Asia Netcom enhanced scalability together with complete control over its service platform. This enables the company to ensure the highest level of service quality and responsiveness to its customers.

"With the new network upgrade and extension, we will dramatically increase our service capabilities and extend our range of services to the NF Park site," said Hideo Ishii, Asia Netcom Japan's Director of IP architecture. "While we already offer customers ATM, FR, subrate IPL, subrate voice and carrier voice solutions from our NF Park PoP , the new DWDM connection now brings our core network and portfolio of services, including a full suite of IP-based solutions and collocation service, much closer to our customers."

Asia Netcom