Tata launches first round-the-world fibre optic cable network

Tata Communications today announced the completion of the first round-the-world fibre optic cable network.

The Tata Global Network – Eurasia (TGN-EA) cable connects Europe to India, through Egypt, bringing increased capacity, resilience and enhanced communications links to not only the Middle East, but to the rest of the world.

The completion of the final link across Egypt enables Tata Communications to offer its customers unique access to a wholly-owned express route cable from Europe to India with improved latency, redundancy and scalability. In conjunction with the company’s recently launched TGN-Gulf these routes will cater to the increasing demand for voice, video and data services in and out of the Gulf region.

“Our customers, whether a European auto-manufacturer, an Asian hotel group or a large U.S. financial services firm, need to compete in global markets and are demanding faster and more reliable worldwide connectivity. Companies and carriers in developed and emerging economies require the confidence and security delivered by a wholly-owned network such as Tata Communications’ TGN,” said Vinod Kumar, MD and CEO at Tata Communications.

The round-the-world ring also offers city-to-city connections in contrast to more traditional networks which only link cable landing stations. This approach is more cost-effective, flexible and provides a faster time to market delivery, as well as being easier to maintain and manage.

The completion of the final TGN-EA link follows significant investment from Tata Communications in its global network in recent years. Tata Communications owns and operates the world’s largest subsea cable network which reaches countries representing 99.7 per cent of the world’s GDP.

The 9,280 km TGN-EA system which links Europe and India, running across the Mediterranean and the Middle East, uses fibre-optic technology based on microscopic glass fibres as thin as a strand of human hair, and offers customers the lowest levels of latency with RTD around 92 msec with speeds from 2Mbit/s to 10Gbit/s available.

“This a landmark moment for Tata Communications as we officially launch the world’s first wholly-owned global submarine cable network as a complete and robust ring around the world,” Kumar said.

Tata Communications also announced the launch of its TGN-Gulf subsea cable system that will connect the Gulf to Mumbai, India and onward to the rest of the Tata Global Network.

In partnership with Nawras of Oman, Etisalat of UAE, Qtel of Qatar, Bahrain Internet Exchange of Bahrain, and Mobily of Saudi Arabia, the TGN cable system is the first TGN cable to serve the Gulf region and will offer network access to UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, providing carriers and businesses with a direct route into the emerging markets of the Gulf region.

The TGN-Gulf cable system will provide companies based in the region, and those looking to expand into these markets, with business-critical capacity for broadband data and high quality voice services. It will initially offer speeds of up to 10G and a greater geographical reach for Tata Communications’ customers, providing a critical backbone for economic development across the Gulf region.