Tata Communications Announces Participation in West African Cable System
Johannesburg (ots/PRNewswire)
Tata Communications, a leading provider of a new world of communications, has announced its participation in the US$600 million, new West African Cable System. This investment will further boost Tata Communications' global reach and enhance the company's investments in the region.
A multinational consortium of leading telecommunications operators recently signed a Construction and Maintenance Agreement (C&MA) and Supply Contract for the implementation of the West Africa Cable System (WACS).
WACS is a submarine fibre optic cable that will link countries in Southern Africa, Western Africa and Europe, with at least 3.84 terabits per second of international bandwidth. The planned landing points include South Africa, Namibia, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria, Togo, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Cape Verde, Canary Islands, Portugal and the United Kingdom. The landings in Namibia, the DRC, the Republic of Congo and Togo will provide the first direct connections for these countries to the global submarine cable network.
Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks has been contracted to supply the 14,000 km long cable system with all associated landing points, which is expected to be ready for service by 2011.
Costing about US$600-million, the project has brought together a multitude of nations and some of the world's most influential telecommunications players in a joint effort to use state-of-the-art technology in linking more people more efficiently than ever before.
The West Africa Cable System represents a significant telecommunications infrastructure investment through a joint effort of a number of African and Global operators and will have ample capacity to serve the region's international connectivity needs for many years to come.
The telecommunications companies that have signed the WACS Construction and Maintenance Agreement include Angola Telecom, Broadband Infraco, Cable & Wireless, MTN, Telecom Namibia, Portugal Telecom, Sotelco, Tata Communications, Telkom SA, Togo Telecom and Vodacom.
WACS will provide Africa with faster and better connectivity to Europe and the world at far cheaper rates; savings which will be passed onto consumers.
"We are very pleased to be participating in the West Africa Cable System. The investment is another step for Tata Communications in bolstering its capabilities in the African market, and will enhance our service propositions together with our partner Neotel in bringing added diversity into South Africa." said Mr. Byron Clatterbuck, Senior Vice President-Global Transmission Services at Tata Communications.
About Tata Communications
Tata Communications, a member of the US$62.5 billion Tata Group, is a leading global provider of a new world of communications. The emerging markets communications leader leverages its advanced solutions capabilities and domain expertise across its global and pan-India network to deliver managed solutions to multi-national and Indian enterprises, service providers and Indian consumers.
Tata Communications' range of services include transmission, IP, converged voice, mobility, managed network connectivity, hosting and storage, managed security, managed collaboration and business transformation for global enterprises and service providers, as well as Internet, retail broadband and content services for Indian consumers. The Tata Global Network encompasses one of the most advanced and largest submarine cable networks, a Tier-1 IP network, with connectivity to more than 200 countries across 300 Pops, and more than 1 million square feet of data centre and co-location facilities.
Tata Communications' unique emerging market depth and breadth of reach includes a national fibre backbone network and access to network in over 60 cities and 125 Pops in India, strategic investments in South African converged services operator, Neotel, Sri Lanka and Nepal and, subject to fulfilment of conditions precedent, a 50% ownership in China Enterprise Communications (CEC) providing full country VPN coverage in China.
Servicing customers from its offices in over 80 cities in 40 countries, Tata Communications is the number one global international wholesale voice operator and number one provider of international long distance, enterprise data and Internet services in India, the Company was named "Best Wholesale Carrier" at the World Communications Awards in 2006, "Best Pan-Asian Wholesale Provider" at the 2006 and 2007 Capacity Magazine Global Wholesale Telecommunications Awards and was awarded "Best Progress in Emerging Markets" at the 2008 Mobile Communication Awards.
Tata Communications Limited along with its global subsidiaries, (Tata Communications), is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India and its ADRs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange. (NYSE: TCL)
Forward-looking and cautionary statements
Certain words and statements in this release concerning Tata Communications and its prospects, and other statements, including those relating to Tata Communications' expected financial position, business strategy, the future development of Tata Communications' operations, and the general economy in India, are forward-looking statements. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including financial, regulatory and environmental, as well as those relating to industry growth and trend projections, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Tata Communications, or industry results, to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from such forward-looking statements include, among others, failure to increase the volume of traffic on Tata Communications' network; failure to develop new products and services that meet customer demands and generate acceptable margins; failure to successfully complete commercial testing of new technology and information systems to support new products and services, including voice transmission services; failure to stabilise or reduce the rate of price compression on certain of the company's communications services; failure to integrate strategic acquisitions and changes in government policies or regulations of India and, in particular, changes relating to the administration of Tata Communications' industry; and, in general, the economic, business and credit conditions in India. Additional factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from such forward-looking statements, many of which are not in Tata Communications' control, include, but are not limited to, those risk factors discussed in Tata Communications' various filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings are available at http://www.sec.gov. Tata Communications is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements.
Media Contacts:
S Ravindran
Tata Communications
+91-9223306610
ravindran.s@tatacommunications.com
Media Agency
STC Associates
+65-9168-1147
Vetriveal@stcassociates.comContact:
Media contacts: S Ravindran, Tata Communications, +91-9223306610,
ravindran.s@tatacommunications.com. Media agency: STC Associates,
+65-9168-1147, Vetriveal@stcassociates.com