[January 20, 2010] Globe says new network to boost Internet service [The Manila Times, Philippines] Tweet (Manila Times (Phillipines) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jan. 20--GLOBE Telecom Inc. on Tuesday said it expects its Internet broadband network to improve with the completion of its second fiber optic network (FOBN2) located in the Northern part of Luzon. In a statement, the Ayala-led telco said the FOBN2 is a high capacity transmission system that spans more than 1,900 kilometers of inland and submarine cable located in Ballesteros, Cagayan Valley. "The new system is expected to further boost the quality and resiliency of Globe's network service," the telco said. The Cagayan cable landing station will link the Philippines to Hong Kong and Singapore, with connectivity via the TGN Pacific network to Japan, Guam and the United States. Globe added that the FOBN2 would ensure reliable, uninterrupted connectivity services for its customers. FOBN2 will serve as protection route for network traffic that is currently carried on FOBN1, a parallel DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplex) transmission system built in early 2000. The announcement comes as the country's second biggest mobile phone service provider is enduring network problems. It had informed subscribers through a text message that network problems would transpire as a result of repair and maintenance at its stations in Cavite and Laguna. The fibter optic network will also provide transmission capacity to support the ongoing roll-out for broadband services, and networking requirements of Globe enterprise and corporate customers. The cable system has an initial design capacity of 400 Gigabits per second (Gbps) and is upgradeable to handle future traffic growth. FOBN 2 was put into complete operation in November last year and was completed at a project cost of around $70 million. In December, Globe along with other major telecom companies signed an agreement to build and operate a new international submarine cable system that would have the highest capacity in the world. Building the Southeast Asia Japan Cable system (SJC) is estimated to cost $400 million and would be shared by the members of the consortium. Besides Globe, the other members of the consortium include Google (USA), KDDI (Japan), Network i2i (Bharti Airtel, India), Reliance Globalcom (through FLAG Pacific Ltd., Bermuda) and Telemedia Pacific Inc. Ltd. (Hong Kong/Indonesia). The Ayala-led telco is the exclusive SJC landing party in the Philippines. The new international cable system is Globe's fifth major investment in submarine cable systems that is spread across the trans-Asian region and connected to diverse trans-Pacific cable system that bring traffic from the Philippines to international destinations. Of the $400 million estimated project cost, about $60 million will be shouldered by Globe. To see more of The Manila Times, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.manilatimes.net. Copyright (c) 2010, The Manila Times, Philippines Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]