The new cable system is scheduled to begin service in the summer of 2002 and will make available to Cable & Wireless customers significant bandwidth at lower cost, well in advance of competing systems using similar technologies. It anticipates the huge demand for bandwidth that analysts forecast to grow on average at around 100% per annum, as a result of the rapid adoption of business internet communications worldwide.
Cable & Wireless’ investment in the transatlantic system is GBP300 million with additional project financing from Alcatel.
A major US communications company has already signed a letter of intent to purchase one fiber pair, representing a quarter of the new cable system’s capacity. In addition, Cable & Wireless’ dedicated carrier and service provider channel, Partner Services, has non-disclosure agreements and ongoing commercial negotiations with other potential purchasers.
Apollo comprises two fully diverse submarine legs, four fibre pairs in each, capable of at least 3.2 terabits per second of traffic transmission on each leg – one third more capacity than other existing transatlantic cable systems. The system will run for 13,000km under the Atlantic Ocean, linking Long Island and New Jersey in the United States with Cornwall in the UK, and Brittany in France. Marine operations are already underway.
Apollo will be the first 80 wavelength transatlantic system – which means Cable & Wireless can offer customers lower unit cost. Apollo will be more resilient than its competitors. It is the first transatlantic system to use Alcatel’s enhanced cable protection design – which means it is less prone to damage from external aggression, such as trawler damage.
Apollo can also claim greater flexibility. Depending on the customers’ voice, data or IP requirements, Apollo can be configured either as a standard ring protection architecture or fully meshed which means the customer can determine for themselves the level of protection they require, up to the latest optical protection switching equipment.
