Friday Network News: January 24

Sophie Donoghue

January 24, 2014 02:30 AM

Capacity brings you the latest network news. If you have network developments you'd like us to share, please tweet us @capacitymag or email editorial@capacitymedia.com.

		Australian operator Telstra has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Telkom Indonesia for the creation of a joint network venture in south east Asia. The venture is designed to provide network services to the region, and, under the terms of the agreement, it will be the exclusive provider of network applications and services (NAS) in Indonesia for both companies. [read more]
		MENA Submarine Cable Systems, a subsidiary of Orascom Telecom Media and Technology, has announced that it has signed a $30 million agreement to use part of Telecom Egypt’s infrastructure. The agreement allows MENA to utilise Telecom Egypt’s dark fibre pair between Zaafarana and Abu-Talat for the next 20 years, and brings MENA closer to launching its submarine cable network. [read more]
		Alcatel-Lucent has partnered with Vanuatu-based cable provider Interchange, for the delivery of ultra-broadband services between Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea (PNG). Alcatel will use its submarine technology to expand Interchange’s 3,000km of subsea cable infrastructure in Melanesia, in a bid to reduce the digital divide in the Pacific Islands. [read more]
		Tata Communications has announced a partnership with network specialist Ciena to upgrade its submarine cable systems connecting US to Japan, as well as three routes in markets across Asia. Tata will deploy Ciena’s optical platform and GeoMesh system to enable 100Gbps across Tata Communications’ TGN-Pacific and Intra-Asia submarine fibre networks. [read more]
		US provider Fibertech Networks has announced plans to deploy over 750 miles of fibre-optic cable in Detroit and its suburbs. Detroit will be one of the largest population centres Fibertech is addressing, and the network will pass through a number of suburban cities, including Trenton, Canton, Dearborn, Southfield, Warren, Troy and Chesterfield. [read more]
		French vendor Alcatel-Lucent has been awarded a contract to upgrade the EASSy submarine cable with 100G technology. The EASSy subsea cable stretches 10,000km from South Africa to Sudan, and Alcatel’s 100G technology is expected to enable the infrastructure to carry more than 10Tbps of capacity. [read more]
		Telecom NZ has won the bid for the final lot of 4G spectrum in the 700MHz band, which was left unsold during New Zealand’s auction in October last year. The company paid $69 million for the spectrum, but the purchase remains subject to clearance by the commerce commission, the competition regulation agency. [read more]
		Russia’s largest telecommunications provider TTK has partnered with Akamai in an effort to improve its content delivery infrastructure. The two companies announced the signing of a network agreement for the installation of Akamai servers in TTK’s Moscow node, with the aim of lowering latency on the service. [read more]
		Nokia Solutions and Networks (NSN) has completed construction of an LTE network for TELE Greenland, to deliver the first 4G service in the country. TELE Greenland is Greenland’s only telecoms operator and NSN signed a partnership with the company last year for the implementation of a 4G LTE network. [read more]
		South Korea's ministry of science and technology has announced that it will invest $1.5 billion in the deployment of a 5G wireless network, due to be operational in 2020. The ministry said it would be partnering with local operators to install the 5G network, which will reportedly be 1,000 times faster than existing connection speeds, enabling a user to download an entire movie in a single second. [read more]