The network infrastructure is expected to be operational by the end of 2016
Telekom Malaysia has signed an agreement with Thailand-based Symphony Communication and Cambodian broadband Internet wholesaler Telcotech to form a consortium to establish the Malaysia-Cambodia-Thailand submarine cable system.
The Malaysian operator said the new cable system, which will span about 1,300 kilometers, will provide further access to other Asian countries such as Laos, Myammar and Vietnam through terrestrial links. The submarine cable system is expected to be ready for commercial traffic by the end of 2016. Telekom Malaysia executive director and CFO Datuk Bazlan Osman said the MCT cable system would become the catalyst for other growing industries in Indochina that required telecommunication infrastructure.
The submarine cable system adopts 100G technology with a total design capacity exceeding 30 terabits per second. Submarine network provider Huawei Marine Networks will be in charge of the design and the construction of the infrastructure.
The MCT cable system will provide connectivity between Cherating in Malaysia and Rayong in Thailand with a branching unit connecting from the main trunk into Sihanoukville in Cambodia. The development of this project is said to be key for Cambodia as it will be the first time the country will have access to high-speed submarine cable infrastructure.
Huawei Marine will deploy its optical amplifier that supports up to six fiber pairs and uses a slim-line titanium housing to reduce operational costs associated with system deployment by allowing for simultaneous lay and burial beneath the seabed. Huawei Marine is a joint venture established by Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturer Huawei Technologies and Global Marine Systems.
Including the MCT project, Telekom Malaysia is involved in 14 submarine cable systems, mainly as part of consortiums. In August, Telekom Malaysia launched mobile broadband services through LTE technology, which is offered through spectrum in the 850 MHz band.
