TGN - Intra Asia Launched

It has been a while since the last PTC meeting, where some Tata people said that the TGN-IA will be launched in a matter of weeks. Yes, sure, what's the problem? we can convert every time measure in "weeks" :-D ... More importantly, it has indeed been launched: "... announced that they have completed the installation, testing and commissioning of the TGN-Intra Asia (TGN-IA) Cable System. Arriving at the conclusion of a comprehensive test program, which verified compliance with all transmission requirements, the companies have completed the final step in achieving regional and global connectivity in Southeast Asia for the TGN".

Excelcomindo - Infrastructure + Some Numbers

The number of XL's BTSs and its distribution can be seen below (as of end 2008).

Telegeography's Sample : IP VPN Prices

This time, Buenos Aires is highlighted. The prices in southern America usually belong to the "upperbounds", or at least positioned near these bounds :-D .. Not agree?

IP Virtual Private Networks (IP VPN), private lines (IPL), and dedicated internet access (DIA) have become crucial components of corporate wide area networks (WANs) and of telecommunications companies' product portfolios. However, WAN prices vary dramatically by service provider, by class of service, by location, and by technology.

SCCN : Prices & Capacity

Just know that Southern Cross (SCCN) has offered volume-based connection pricing :-D

the new Southern Cross price for 5 Gbps of restored capacity represents around US$0.28 per GigaByte downloaded from the US. This has reduced by 86%, from US$ 1.95 per GigaByte, in December 2003

ROV Operation

Special thanks to Stuart Wilson for confirming that the first videos I mentioned in this and this post are from GMSL.

The following YouTube animation video is also from GMSL, showing a ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) in operation.

Submarine Cable Protection

The following YouTube video shows a way to protect submarine (telecommunication) cable. Anybody knows source of this video?

Cable Breaks - Again Around Taiwan

Since several days, some media have reported this issue. Some media have pointed to the Typhoon Morakot as the possible cause. Others (as cited by Commsday) mentioned a possibly undetected underwater earthquake. In common, seems they agree that the sources of these multiple cuts shall be something related to the natural happening. Which cable is impacted?

• SMW3
• EAC S2A1 (detected on 06/August); D (08/August); C (9/August)
• APCN2 S7 HK-TW? (09/August)
• APCN2 S1 SG-MY? (19/August)
• APCN (?)
• FNAL (HK-TW)

10 Gig-E IP Transit Prices

Firstly, I want to quote this : "Tata Communications says that its recently launched 10 Gig-E service now offers large capacity users a saving of up to 60% per megabit of traffic when compared to traditional Gigabit Ethernet services" (Commsday). Now, we might want to ask ourselves, without having to call any sales personal, how much does it actually cost? Price is something strongly not linear :-D .. it depends on this, that, these, and those. And often such factors can not be explained easily (if not at all :-D). Na Und? just want to know how much! :-D ... okay, look at the table below, it's a very simple model.

Submarine Cable Laying

If some days ago I mentioned two videos illustrating submarine cable repair/maintenance, this time I would refer to two other videos showing a basic scheme for submarine cable laying. As before, the first video is 3D (from GMSL??) while the second one is in the ASN fashion.. :-D

Internet : How It Works

How does the Internet work? The following two videos are good introductory material for answering that question. We used those for introducing our Department at TUHH to new undergraduate students. And couple of times I used also at ITB for the same purpose. The fist video (Warriors of the Net) is made by Ericsson MediaLab (?), narated in English and it's also available for download in several languages. The second video (Die Maus erklaert das Internet) is an episode from the "die Sendung mit der Maus" from the german WDR TV-broadcaster (sure, it's in German, but I think it's quite "selfexplanatory" :-D ).

WildBlue Satellite Services

As mentioned in the previous posts, O3b Networks will utilize Ka-Band. They are surely not the first who use that frequency band for commercial satellite services. Personally, I remembered "WildBlue" when I, for the first time, read about O3b Networks. Sure, if we look at the type of satellites they use and the services they offer, O3b and WildBlue are completely different. But I see they share the same idea: reinventing satellite technology for broadband purposes. Though, I'm a bit dissapointed to know that O3b can "only" achieve a bit more than 1 Gigs/beam or around 10 Gigs/satellite... :-D .. I did hope for a bigger figure :-D

O3b Networks - Latency

Below is a table showing a comparison of some latency figures of the O3b and a typical geosynchronous satellite system. The O3b Networks MEO orbit constellation is at an altitude of 8,063 Kilometers, while the geosynchronous satellite at 35,786 Kilometers.

O3b Networks - 2

Below are several quotes mentioning O3b Networks from media/third parties' point of view.

O3b Networks

What is special about it? I've heard about Teledesic story happened more than 10 years ago. At a glance O3b Networks offers similar things. Then again, what is special? Could it happen that they just repeat the old story again? Hmmm, to be honest, I don't know .. :-D .. What attracts me for the first time to O3b because it's Google's! :-D ... I see that Google always innovates cleverly, offering people good stuff and often for free!! Now, that they've backed O3b, it should be something different, right? :-D .. As I wrote this, if everything okay, I'll meet some of O3b guys tomorrow. But let's open our eyes and look a bit more deep at their concept.. :-D

Ka and Ku-Band

Just to refresh our memory regarding electromagnetic spectrum :-D

Excelcomindo Pratama - Updates

Some updates for XL (PT. Excelcomindo Pratama) - 07/2009:

• International bandwidth: 640 Mbps (current); 1 Gbps (target at 2009E) - this is total or only for Internet service?
• Customers: 25 mn (incl. 6.1 mn 3G - 20 th. from those are active broadband users)
• 18,000 BTSs (capacity upgraded recently - two times higher; figure??)
• Coverage: 90% population (claimed)
• International bandwidth for BlackBerry services: 45 Mbps (65 Mbps already?; end 2009 100 Mbps expected)
• BlackBerry customers: 135 th. (target 2009E - 200 th. subscribers)

Moratel - Updates

Just found something related to Moratel and its new cable MBDC, that might be of our interest :-D

• It seems that the branch to Melaka will also be installed in the near future (if not immeadiately); in several reports, Moratel uses BDM term (Batam-Dumai-Melaka) instead of MBDC
• Length: 500 km (seems, incl. branch to Melaka)
• Investment: USD 40 mn
• GMSL is on the board! (Subcon from Triasmitra??)
• Installation target: Batam-Dumai (08/2009); Dumai-Melaka (09/2009)
• Inland segment: Dumai-Palembang-Lampung-Kalianda-Anyer-Jakarta (08/2009)

Smart Telecom - Some Updates

If it isn't otherwise stated, the following data are as of 07/2009.

Three HCPT - Some Updates

If it isn't otherwise stated, the following data are actual as of 07/2009.

Axis NTS - Some Updates

Below are some facts as of 07/2009 for Axis / NTS (Natrindo Telepon Selular).