FLAG Picks Alcatel for Subsea CableFLAG Picks Alcatel for Subsea Cable

FLAG Telecom awards Alcatel a turnkey contract for its Falcon submarine cable

February 22, 2005

2 Min Read

LONDON and PARIS -- FLAG Telecom, a leading provider of international wholesale network transport and communications services, today announced it has signed a multi-million dollar turnkey contract with Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) for the construction of FALCON, a multi-terabit/s, new generation DWDM submarine cable system. FALCON will provide multiple landings throughout the Gulf region, with submarine links initially stretching to India in the east and to Egypt in the west. Under the terms of the turnkey contract, won in open tender, Alcatel, already a key supplier to FLAG Telecom, will manage all areas of the cable build, including installation, commissioning and testing. FALCON will span over 10,000 km and will offer significantly more high-quality capacity in the region to help address the growing traffic demands from the accelerating take up of broadband services.

The FALCON network will be built and installed in simultaneous sections using several submarine cable laying ships and initial service will commence by the fourth quarter of 2005. FALCON will incorporate comprehensive protection mechanisms to ensure the highest level of network reliability.

Alcatel will supply its next-generation DWDM submarine line terminal that incorporates the most recent developments in optical transmission enabling operators to maximise their network efficiency. Alcatel’s Optical Multi-Service Node and 1678 Metro Core Connect terrestrial systems will be installed to connect the landing stations. All terrestrial and submarine equipment will be managed by an integrated network management system provided by Alcatel.

Survey work of the entire region has been largely completed and most of the necessary permits to land the cable or cross territorial waters have been obtained. All engineering work and route planning has been carried out in parallel to the construction negotiations, with the aim of delivering a robust and resilient submarine network in record time. FALCON will also incorporate comprehensive protection mechanisms to ensure the highest level of network reliability. Where necessary FALCON will be double armoured and plough buried.

“Following the successful deployments of FLAG Atlantic-1 and the FLAG North Asia Loop Cable System, this new project gives us the opportunity to once again co-operate with FLAG”, said Jean Godeluck, President of Alcatel’s submarine network activity. “Capitalising on over 150 years expertise, this award also confirms Alcatel’s reliability as partner of choice for managing highly complex submarine projects,” he added.

Patrick Gallagher, CEO, FLAG Telecom, commented: “Demand for high-quality, cost-effective bandwidth to and from India and the Middle East is exploding. FALCON is a key element in our future plans to meet our customer requirements and we are delighted to be working again with Alcatel. FALCON will dramatically change the global communications infrastructure balance, bringing terabit/s capacity to the Gulf for the first time, and providing additional access to India, the second largest growth economy in the world.”

FLAG Telecom Group Ltd.

Subscribe and receive the latest news from the industry.
Join 62,000+ members. Yes it's completely free.

You May Also Like