Sw imming in a digital ocean
Guam lies on the path of an interlocking network of submarine cables making the island an important telecommunications hub in the region . Since the establishment of the Guam Cable Station in the early 20th century which connected the island to the rest of the world , more submarine cables have landed on Guam . Today , there are around 10 separate cables with landing points on the island .
After receiving a license from the Federal Communication Commission on Feb 23 to operate a second-fiber optic submarine cable on Guam and the Northern Marianas , Docomo Pacific will finally move forward with the $ 25 million Atisa network project . Docomo , a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTT DOCOMO Inc ., and NEC Corp . announced the signing of the project contract in March last year .
Atisa , which means ? to illuminate ? in Chamorro , seeks to enhance connectivity and upgrade capacity in the islands . Docomo expects to complete the project towards the latter part of 2017 .
More than half of Docomo ? s investment will be placed in the construction of the cable and backup microwave system , the rest will be allotted for upgrades to the mobile network on Saipan , Tinian and Rota . The company informed the press of their plans during the launching of the Atisa project last year .
The Atisa network will have a capacity of 4.8 terabits per second ( Tbps ) and a total length ( trunksplus spurs ) of approximately 279 kilometers . According to Docomo , the Atisa system would enable the company ? to offer new and sustainable wireless , cable television , home telephone , and broadband services .?
The FCC license constitutes an important compliance component of the project . Jonathan Kriegel , president and CEO of Docomo said that
with the commission approval in hand , the ? final permit required is from the U . S . Army Corps of Engineers .?
With the construction of shore-based infrastructure about to start soon , Kriegel said they anticipate conducting the marine lay between March and May . Docomo plans to launch commercial service by June .
By Louella Losinio
During a luncheon meeting with the Rotary Club of Guam luncheon Pacific Star Resort & Spa last year , Kriegel said that aside from the infrastructure improvements , the project will benefit Guam by creating more jobs . ? A lot of the core switching for these networks - cable TV and mobile - will take place on Guam .? He added the they intend to hire more engineers to support network activities in CNMI .
Kriegel said that telecommunications companies are now laying more submarine cables after a period of declining demand for data and cable . Increased economic growth in China and the Southeast Asian region plus the growing popularity of smart devices spurred the need for more cable infrastructure . In fact , Kriegel expects the average use of the internet to reach 15 gigabits per user by next year .
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