China begins laying trans-Pacific fiber optic cable to US
China has begun laying a $500-million fiber optic cable to the United States that will be vital in meeting booming Internet traffic between the two nations.
By Agencies |
BEIJING: China has begun laying a $500-million fiber optic cable to the United States that will be vital in meeting booming Internet traffic between the two nations, state press reported Tuesday.
The "Trans Pacific Express" cable will directly link China with South Korea, Taiwan and the United States, greatly increasing Internet speeds between the regions, the China Daily said.
Work laying the cable began in the eastern coastal city of Qingdao on Monday, with completion of the trans-oceanic line scheduled for July next year, the paper said.
The terminus of the cable that will also be able to transmit high definition television signals during the Beijing 2008 Olympics will be in Nedonna Beach, Oregon, it added.
The new cable is expected to help avoid breakdowns in trans-oceanic Internet traffic similar to what occurred following a 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck the seabed near Taiwan on December 26, snapping undersea telecom cables.
The quake caused major communications disruptions in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and further afield for nearly a month. Investment in the new cable include US telecom giant Verizon Communications mainland Chinese companies China Telecom, China Netcom and China Unicom, as well as Korea Telecom and Chunghwa Telecom from Taiwan, reports said.
According to previous reports, construction of the 26,000-kilometre (16,000-mile) cable began on the US side in the first quarter of 2007.
The "Trans Pacific Express" cable will directly link China with South Korea, Taiwan and the United States, greatly increasing Internet speeds between the regions, the China Daily said.
Work laying the cable began in the eastern coastal city of Qingdao on Monday, with completion of the trans-oceanic line scheduled for July next year, the paper said.
The terminus of the cable that will also be able to transmit high definition television signals during the Beijing 2008 Olympics will be in Nedonna Beach, Oregon, it added.
The new cable is expected to help avoid breakdowns in trans-oceanic Internet traffic similar to what occurred following a 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck the seabed near Taiwan on December 26, snapping undersea telecom cables.
The quake caused major communications disruptions in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and further afield for nearly a month. Investment in the new cable include US telecom giant Verizon Communications mainland Chinese companies China Telecom, China Netcom and China Unicom, as well as Korea Telecom and Chunghwa Telecom from Taiwan, reports said.
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According to previous reports, construction of the 26,000-kilometre (16,000-mile) cable began on the US side in the first quarter of 2007.
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