Level 3 Awards Contract to Alcatel and Fujitsu for Construction of North Asian Loop

June 7, 2000 -- Alcatel and Fujitsu Limited today confirmed that Level 3 Communications Limited has awarded the two companies a contract to construct its North Asian high capacity undersea cable system. The companies have been working on the project since the end of last year.

The North Asian Cable System was announced by Level 3 in January and will be the company's first undersea network in Asia region. The first leg of the North Asian cable system, connecting Japan to Hong Kong, will go live in the second quarter of next year and is key to Level 3's vision of building a global IP infrastructure. Services will launch in the fourth quarter of this year.

The North Asian submarine cable system is a 6-fiber-pair high capacity ring network in Asia region, jointly constructed by Level 3 Communications and Flag Telecom.

The eastern leg of the North Asian Loop, connecting Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan, is constructing by Level 3 Communication. The western leg of the North Asian Loop, connecting Hong Kong, Korea and Japan, will be constructed by Flag Telecom. Level 3 Communications and Flag Telecom will own three fiber pairs of the entire system respectively.

This 6-fibre pair ring network will offers a maximum capacity of 2.4 terabits on its Hong Kong-Taiwan-Japan leg and 3.8 terabits on the second leg linking Japan, Korea and Hong Kong.