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Myanmar-Thai fiber optic network link put into operation
[June 16, 2009]

Myanmar-Thai fiber optic network link put into operation


YANGON, Jun 16, 2009 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Construction of the final phase of Myanmar-Thai inland fiber optic link, Myawaddy-Maesot, has been completed, putting the overall fiber optic network link between the two countries into operational, the local weekly Voice quoted the Myanmar Posts and Telecommunication (MPT) as reporting Tuesday.



According to the MPT, the Myanmar-Thai cross-border fiber optic link, which is of 10 gigabyte and set up in cooperation with the Telecommunication Organization of Thai (TOT), will bring the country's total gigabyte to 20 after that with China.

The total completion of the Myanmar-Thai fiber link will enable direct telephone call between the two countries without going through China's similar link and Singapore's satellite link, experts said.


The Myanmar-Thai fiber optic link extends as Yangon-Hmawby-Bago- Kyaikhto-Tahton-Pha an-Kawkareik-Thingan Nyinaung-Myawaddy on the Myanmar side and Maesot-Bangkok stands on the Thai side.

The project was implemented as part of the information superhighway network (ISN) project of the six-country Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS)-Economic Cooperation.

The MPT also estimated that a 7-million-US-dollar cross-border fiber optic network link project between Myanmar and India, implemented since December 2006 under Indian loan, will be completed and operational soon.

The 640-kilometer-long Myanmar-India optical fiber link, which connects Indian's northeastern border town of Moreh and Myanmar's second largest city of Mandalay, passes through 6 cities of Tamu, Kampatwa, Kyi Gone, Shwebo, Monywa and Sagaing.

Earlier in March last year, fiber link between Myanmar and China, built since April 2007 and involving China Telecom and Yunnan Telecom, was set up in Myanmar's border town of Muse also as part of the regional ISN project.

The Myanmar-China fiber optic link was built across China's Kunming and Myanmar's Muse with its link further extended to reach the commercial city of Yangon.

The total length of the connected fiber optic cables with the above three countries has reached over 7,000 miles (11,200 kilometers).

Meanwhile, Myanmar will also establish such inland fiber optical cable links with two more neighboring countries -- Bangladesh and Laos to boost information links in the region, other report said.

There are 12 ISN fiber optic links being built across the GMS to boost information links under a memorandum of understanding signed by GMS members in Laos in 2004.

The ISN project covers building of a commercialized information and communication platform in order to launch basic business of chatting, data, connection of internet as well as distant education, medical treatment, e-government and e-commerce which will sharply raise the capacity of the internet to promote the socio-economic development of the subregion.

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