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South Pacific Island Network (SPIN) Chief Executive Remi Galasso says they are watching developments with Optikor – Kordia’s cable – with great interest. (Telecommunications Review reported earlier this week that Optikor is delayed).
“We hope the Optikor cable (Auckland to Sydney) will be confirmed in 2010, as SPIN does not propose any direct trans-Tasman link,” he says. “We could then eventually partner with Kordia.”
Galasso says work on the $US 200 million submarine cable project is well underway. It has signed the supplier contract with Alcatel Lucent Submarine Networks and a marine survey will be complete this year. “We expect a system commissioning by Q4 2011.”
The SPIN cable is expected to land in Auckland, with the most likely place Takapuna beach – the same location as the landing chosen for the Southern Cross Cable, which is majority owned by Telecom.
Galasso says SPIN will be a viable alternative to Southern Cross and it has sought support from Telecom’s competitors. He says they have been in contact with partners and potential customers since 2007 but he won’t reveal names because of non-disclosure agreements.
“What I can tell you is that we clearly target Telecom New Zealand major competitors that need an alternative solution the Southern Cross monopoly,” he says.
The SPIN project itself will link Auckland - Noumea and Tahiti (7,500 km - 1 fibre pair - 640 Gbps design capacity). It will have several branching units for Norfolk Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa and American Samoa.
It will connect to two cables owned by OPT New Caledonea: The Gondwana cable which links Sydney to Noumea (2150 km - 1 fibre pair - 640 Gbps design capacity), and the Honotua cable, due for completion by June it will link Tahiti to Hawaii (4650 km - 1 fibre pair - 640 Gbps design capacity).
Galasso says that SPIN is set to reap the benefits of the demand generated by the government’s $1.5 billion investment in a fibre broadband network – tenders for which close tomorrow.
“We believe the Ultra Fast Broadband (UFB) project will definitely change the Internet market in New Zealand. It will boost NZ bandwidth requirement,” he says.
“NZ people really need larger and cheaper bandwidth. NZ market is large enough for several submarine cables, and competition is always improving service quality. Moreover, several cables means more security for the country.”UPDATE: Kordia corporate affairs general manager Susie Stone says she has not been approached by SPIN to discuss a possible partnership. However, prompted by TR’s story she will be getting in touch with Remi Galasso immediately.
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