Tata's Cables

Let's begin with a Wiki quotation :-)

Tata Communications, formerly known Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited or VSNL, is India's largest telecommunication company in international long distance, enterprise data and internet services. Part of the Tata Group, Tata Communications is based in Mumbai and has operations in over 80 cities spread across 40 countries. Tata Teleservices, one of India's largest and least congested cellular providers, is a subsidiary of Tata Communications. Through its subsidiary Tyco Global Network, it is also one of the world's largest submarine cable bandwidth providers and has the world's largest network of submarine cables. Other subsidiaries of Tata Communications include VSNL International Canada, formerly known as Teleglobe while it is the majority share-holder of Neotel, South Africa's second-largest cellular operator.

In 1986, VSNL was formed as a Government of India-owned company and 1996, Tata Teleservices was established. In 2000, Tata Group acquired controlling stake in VSNL which was later expanded to 46%. In 2007, VSNL was renamed as Tata Communications which also included Tata Teleservices.

SJC Plan

Southeast-asia Japan Cable (SJC) is currently in the planning stage. This second Google-led cable initiative will extend Unity cable to Southeast Asia.

• RFS: earliest 2011 (Alan Mauldin's estimate)
• Corsortium members: Google, Bharti, SingTel, KDDI, Global Transit (all these companies are also member of Unity Japan-US)
• Consortium members (SJC only): Globe Telecom Philippines, TOT Thailand
• Contractors/suppliers: ??? the same as Unity ???
• Current status: planning stage; preparation of supply contract
• CAPEX ???
  

Southeast-asia Japan Cable (SJC) Plan (Source/Courtesy Telegeography)

PPC-1 (Pipe Pacific Cable-1)

PPC-1 is owned (via its subsidiaries) by PIPE Networks, which is claimed itself as "Australia's largest peering provider and operates 16 IX points in 6 cities with over 130 active connections". PIPE has a close partnership with VSNL(Tata), in particular as the company intends to expand its business to the international wholesale market.

Intra-Asia & Transpacific Cables

According to Byron Clatterbuck (Tata), current supply for transpacific connection is as follows:

TGN-Pacific

• Capacity: 8 FP; 96 channels at 10 Gbps each; 1.4 Tbps lit; 7.8 Tbps design
• Owner: Tata/TGN

JUSCN

• Capacity: 4 FP; 1.28 Tbps lit & design (full occupied) ??
• Owner: Consortium

PC-1

• Capacity: 4 FP; 320 Gbps lit; 1.28 Tbps design
• Owner: (same owner as Southern Cross??)

How about intra-Asia segments? There are also many alternatives. This includes EAC-C2C (Pacnet), IAC, TIC, Flag (FNAL). There might be also several other systems.

A (Possibly) New Competitor for Matrix and Jakabare

A competitor or a friend ? :-) It could actually be a potential partner if you want to connect to Western Australia!

I don't remember precisely how, but yesterday my Firefox browser took me to Ochre's website. Honestly, I've never heard Ochre before, so I was a bit surprised; similar to the moment where I read about the MCS project for the first time.

Bandwidth "Under Water"

As Asia NetCom (currently PACNET) introduced its idea for EAC Pacific one or two years ago, they underlined the fact that due to underserved routes from South and South-East Asia, Japan-US connections have become a bottleneck. They have shown a picture similar to one below. It has attracted my attention since it split Asia into three regions together with their connectivity parameters. At least, it was something different than we might see in the free version of TeleGeography's reports/databases :-D CMIIW!

After a closer look at the given bandwidth figures and comparing with other publications (TeleGeography etc.), I have to conclude that it isn't real i.e. ANC possibly gave the capacity based on design numbers (fully equiped system). Right ?? Wrong ??

Trans-Pacific Express (TPE) Cable System

TPE (Trans-Pacific Express) is claimed to be "the first next-generation undersea optical cable system directly linking the US and China" and "the first major undersea system to land on the US West Coast in more than seven years". TPE will have a more than 60 times the overall capacity of the existing cable directly linking the US and China, and thus it will be a major enhancement to the current cable systems between these nations.

TPE links China (Chongming and Qingdao), South Korea, Taiwan, and USA (Nedonna Beach). TPE is owned by a joint venture (ownership is evently split) between 6 telcos: China Telecom, China Netcom, China Unicom, Chunghwa Telecom, Korea Telecom, Verizon Communications, AT&T and NTT (the two latest joined in 03/2008).

Unity Cable System

Unity is a new multi-terabit transpacific cable system with Google's taste :-D As you can see at this post, I've misunderstood that EAC Pacific would completely be a new transpac cable. It shall actually be a part of the Unity cable. To my knowledge, there are currently three competing parties offering new Asia-US connections:

• Trans-Pacific Express (TPE) : Verizon's Taste :-)
• Asia America Gateway (AAG)
• Unity : PACNET, Google etc.

Any other planned cables ?

PGASKOM (PGAS Telekomunikasi Nusantara)

It is not easy to find information for PGASKOM's backbone. PGASKOM is subsidiary of PGN (Perusahaan Gas Negara) which provides connection services using its fiber optic infrastructure currently installed along its gas pipes spanning from SG/Batam to Southern Sumatera (in the near future to Cilegon Banten and maybe to Jakarta). In an indirect press release several times ago as recorded by local newspapers (detik.com/bisnis?), PGASKOM shall have 96 core / 24 core fiber for terrestrial and submarine segments, respectively. Several cores shall already be leased by (some incumbent) telcos. Anybody knows more ??

New Asian/Transpacific Submarine Cables

In addition to AAG, several new cable systems in/via Asia are developed (just commissioned or currently under construction). This includes :

• Trans-Pacific Express (US-China)
• FLAG NGN (Intra-Asia, Intra-Africa, Mediterranean, Trans-Pacific)
• IMEWE/TIC (Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Europe)
• East Asia Crossing (EAC) Extension
  

Asia America Gateway AAG (2)

One day in 2007 George McLaughlin has mentioned AAG as a possible infrastructure for supporting future Asian networks (APAN - in the context of RENs). It shall at the begin this year a decision whether or not APAN acquires a stake in the consortium. Since the Hengchun's earthquake many people see AAG as a potential infrastructure for increasing network reliability between (South/South-East) Asia and the USA, since it uses different routes than the usual Asia-US submarine cables. AAG also plays an important and strategic role that it can be extended to other countries/continents, thus increasing network reliability at a global scale (see the pic below).

First Generation Domestic Optical Cable Systems

PT. Indosat has begun to deploy submarine cables since 1985 (optical?). PT. Telkom on the other side has stated that the TIS cable is its first optical submarine cable system.

Recently, according to ASN record, Telkom has already deployed an optical submarine cable system in 90s. Which is true ? Is it only the matter that TIS is international while the other is domestic ?

Jakasusi, Jasutra & SKKL-JS

Below are several domestic submarine fiber optic cable systems owned by PT. Indosat.

Jakasusi (JAva KAlimantan SUlaweSI) :

• Jakasusi segment 1 (B1) connects Banyu Urip (Jawa Timur) to Takesung (Kalimantan Selatan)
• Jakasusi segment 2 (B2) connects Takesung (Kalsel) to Aeng Batu Batu (Sulawesi Selatan)
• Length 1,000 km
• CAPEX USD 40 mio.
• Construction period : March 2006 - October 2006
• Contractor : Alcatel (ASN)
• Subcontractors :EGS Asia Ltd (route survey, burial assessment survey - February 2006)
  
• Capacity : ?

Jasuka

Jasuka (Jawa Sumatera and Kalimantan) backbone is owned by PT. Telkom and was operated since early 2006. It consists of 2 rings and connects 30 cities in the islands including

• Ring 1 : Jakarta, Tanjung Pakis, Tanjung Pandan, Pontianak, Batam, Dumai, Pekanbaru, Jambi, Palembang,Baturaja, Bandar Lampung
• Ring 2 : Medan, Tebing Tinggi, Rantau Prapat, Pekanbaru, Bukit Tinggi, Padang, Sibolga, Pematang Siantar

Several other facts:

TIS Cable

TIS stands for Thailand Indonesia Singapore. As indicated by the name, it is an optical submarine cable spanning from Songkhla (Thailand) to Batam (Indonesia) via Changi (Singapore). TIS cable was the first submarine cable project of PT. Telkom.

Jakabare

If we look at the route maps published by nec.co.jp and matrixnetworks.sg, it seems that Jakabare and MCS share almost similar route path. I did a rough image matching on both pics; the result can be seen below. Except that Jakabare branches to Pontianak around 70 km (?) from Bangka, they seem just like a twin.

DMCS

Dumai Melaka Cable System (DMCS) is owned jointly by PT. Telkom and Telekom Malaysia. This was the second submarine cable project of PT. Telkom after the TIS (Thailand Indonesia Singapore) cable.

Currently Unknown/Unpublished Domestic Cable Systems

Some (probably) new domestic cable systems are still "undercover". Well it's true at least for me and the large community served by Google :-)

Which cables ?

MCS

I have heard that NAP Info is going to install a new submarine cable connecting Jakarta to Singapore. But it was a surprise for me that it will be ready on Q2/2008. So fast ?

Actually they began the process since early 2007, where they selected Tyco Telecommunications to construct the system. Tyco completed the marine route survey in 08/2007 and then started the marine work. The MCS (Matrix Cable System) will be jointly operated by Matrix Networks Pte Ltd (SG) and PT. NAP Info Lintas Nusa (ID). Matrix Networks holds a Facility-Based Operator (FBO) license issued by the InfoComm Development Authority (IDA), operates a cable landing station in North Changi and owns a 20 km fiber optic backhaul to four major data exchanges. NAP Info is a network access provider established in 2000 which currently owns more than 100 km terrestrial optical cable within Jakarta, connecting more than 120 buildings.

The Hengchun Earthquake : A Flashback to the Networking Disaster

On one side, it is no doubt that network reliability is important. But on the other side, "important" is something that can be understood differently. Thus, network reliability might be implemented variously according to some tradeoffs. What portion given to reliability aspects depends on the owners' strategy and policy. Let's consider an example.