Telstra Network Gets Bandwidth Boost With 100Gbps Undersea Cables

Telstra is to offer 100Gbps speeds across a number of its ultra-long haul submarine cables covering Asia and the Pacific as the Australian telecommunications firm seeks to increase its presence in the Asian market.

The company says the faster speeds will accommodate demands of cloud-based data centre operators and data centres managed by service and content providers who deal in rich, high bandwidth content such as 4K video.

100Gbps submarine cables

“Telstra’s 100G Wavelength service was designed to scale smartly and would also help deliver the connectivity and capacity needed to support market demand for larger bandwidth applications, including High Definition video services and emerging Ultra High Definition Television,” said Darrin Webb, COO of Telstra Global Enterprise & Services.

“As the volume of data generated and consumed worldwide continues to increase exponentially, it’s critical the infrastructure responsible for delivering it can cater to this need. Our job, as a trusted network partner, is to adapt and ensure there is capacity where it is required most by our customers.

“However the move to 100G is much more than just raw capacity. Alongside enhanced efficiency, 100G can help customers reduce operational expenditure and simplify network maintenance thanks to the service’s ability to consolidate bandwidths. It is also flexible enough to meet the requirements of most cable companies by offering landing station and point of presence options too.”

Asian expansion

The cables being upgraded to 100Gbps are the Asia America Gateway Direct Fiber Pair (AAG DFP)  , which connects the mainland USA with Hawaii, the 9,000 kilometre Reach North Asia Loop (RNAL), which covers Hong Kong, Taiwan Japan and South Korea, the 9,124km Telstra Endeavour, which links Sydney and Hawaii. Also covered are the 12.7 kilometre Australia-Japan cable and UNITY, a 9.6 kilometre route from Japan to the United States.

It is hoped that the upgrade will help Telstra to compete with more established rivals and become the first choice for Australian, European and US businesses wanting to connect with Asia and for emerging firms in Asia who want to expand in the other direction.

“This latest investment means we are well placed to meet the needs of our customers across Asia Pacific and the United States and we’re excited to see them benefit from the increased connectivity,” continued Webb. “Through this and other investments, our customers can rest assured they have some of the best global telecommunications technology at their fingertips.”

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