Bharti Airtel has been in news recently for being a part of the Europe India Gateway (EIG) cable system, along with fifteen other global telecommunications majors. This first direct, high-bandwidth optical-fiber submarine cable system from India to United Kingdom – UK will cost more than US$ 700 million. The 15,000-kilometer (9,000-mile) cable system will connect 13 countries across three continents, connecting Europe and UK and Middle East and is expected to carry commercial traffic by second quarter 2010.
Airtel famous for its phone card in India is the only Indian service provider to be a part of this consortium, and will be operating the cable landing station in Mumbai. The other members of the EIG cable consortium include AT&T, BT, C&W, Djibouti Telecom, Du, Gibtelecom, IAM, Libyan Telecom, MTN Group Ltd., Omantel, PT Comunicações-S.A, Saudi Telecom Company, Telecom Egypt, Telkom SA Ltd, and Verizon Business. The state-of-the-art, next generation cable system is designed to provide up to 3.84 terabits (Tbps) using dense-wavelength-division-multiplexing (DWDM) technology to provide upgradeable transmission facilities that support Internet, e-commerce, video, data and voice. The EIG consortium has signed construction and supply agreements with Alcatel-Lucent and Tyco Telecommunications.
David Nishball, President, Enterprise Services, Bharti Airtel Ltd. Saying – “There is a tremendous rise in use of data and broadband applications among enterprises and consumers globally, and India is no exception. Whether it is large enterprises leveraging communications technologies to compete in a truly global environment or consumers seeking real-time entertainment over the internet, international connectivity has become a vital part of our lives.” He added, “As a leading telecommunications provider, we are committed to addressing this demand and providing reliable and resilient global networking solutions for our customers.”
Tags: EIG, Europe India Gateway, phone card, phone card india
