SLT to launch Lanka-S.Africa submarine cable link

Bid to expand global telecom connectivity:

Hiran H. SENEWIRATNE

TELECOM: Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) will commission a submarine cable system between Sri Lanka and South Africa to tap the African continent to enhance its global telecommunication connectivity, its sources said. At present it is in the pipeline and still under discussion, SLT Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shoji Takahashi said.

Takahashi was attending a ceremony to announce the inauguration of the SLT and Dhiraagu Telecom of Maldives optical fibre submarine cable system between the two countries at a cost of US $ 20 million to enhance economic and superior telecommunication growth in both countries.

Takahashi said SLT would strengthen this bilateral regional tie-up on the Dhiraagu optical fibre cable system following the commissioning of Bharat-Lanka optical fibre submarine cable system with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd of India in October this year.

He said that Dhiragu - SLT bilateral optical fibre submarine cable system will be an added strength to SLT's point of presence in Hong Kong and will be a step forward for SLT to become a regional telecommunication facilitator along with SLT's high bandwidth global connectivity to South East Asia, Middle East and Western Europe.

SLT Chairman - Asoka Weerasinghe de Silva said the cable between Colombo and Male, will span 850 kilometres at a capacity of 10 gigabits per second.

It will enable Dhiraagu to be connected with the rest of the world through Sri Lanka and will allow for superhighway level bandwidth between Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

SLT signed a construction and maintenance agreement with Dhiraagu, the national communication provider and the largest full service operator in the Maldives six months ago.

It also preceded a Supply Contract Agreement with NEC of Japan, the contractor for the fibre-optic cable system to implement the construction of the cable.

SLT is one of the country's most valuable blue chip companies with an annual turnover in excess of US $ 400 million.

NTT Communication Corporation of Japan owns a 35.2 per cent stake in SLT, 49.2 per cent is owned by the Government of Sri Lanka and 15.3 per cent is listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange.