Alcatel-Lucent and Ocean Networks to extend South America Pacific Link submarine cable system from Panama to Florida

Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks (ASN), the undersea cables subsidiary of Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU), and Ocean Networks, Inc. are to extend the South America Pacific Link (SAPL) submarine cable system from Panama to Florida, adding approximately 3,000km to the 14,200km SAPL network that will link Hawaii to South America.

The extension will be known as SAPL Caribbean Express (SAPL CX). With it, the SAPL system will land in northern Florida and provide seamless connectivity to the Network Access Point (NAP) of the Americas in Miami, Florida, as well as connecting Oahu in Hawaii, Balboa in Panama and Santiago in Chile. This will provide additional capacity to meet the ever-increasing demand for bandwidth-hungry markets with ultra-broadband access around the Pacific Rim, as well as enhance the role of digital connectivity in regional economic development.

The system is designed for future connectivity via branching units to Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, and northern Chile and the big island of Hawaii.

The 100 Gbit/s SAPL CX system will have a  capacity of at least 10 terabits-per-second on each of its six fiber pairs. SAPL is the only system in the region that can offer full fiber pairs from Hawaii, Central and South America to the NAP of the Americas. The system offers a truly diverse trans-Pacific route compared to the congested North American West Coast routes.

Scott J. Schwertfager, CEO at Ocean Networks, said: "The addition of SAPL CX is significant, we have  listened to the requirements of our customer and have responded to meet their requests. The SAPL system will fulfil a long-standing need of the markets of the US, Central and South America for connectivity to the Asia Pacific region by interconnecting with existing and planned submarine cable systems in Hawaii. The collaboration with ASN and the deployment of their leading-edge subsea cable system technology will enable us to foster cost-effective high-speed broadband connectivity in the region."

Philippe Dumont, President of Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks, said: "Extending SAPL to the United States will boost access to the worldwide infrastructure, opening up traffic diversity to increase access and service reliability as demand from consumers and businesses alike grows rapidly. We are pleased to be supporting Ocean Networks in the expansion of services and applications that are enabled by high-bandwidth networks, which are a catalyst for economic and social progress. "

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