NEC Completes Submarine Cable System for India’s BSNL Connecting Kochi and the Lakshadweep Islands
NEC Corporation India (NEC India) together with NEC Corporation announced the
successful completion of a flagship optical submarine cable system in Southern
India connecting Kochi and the Lakshadweep Islands.
The Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine Cable
(KLI), developed under the Government of India’s ‘Digital India’ Mission, was
inaugurated recently by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. During a speech
commemorating India’s 74th Independence Day in 2020, he unveiled the initiative
to link the Lakshadweep Islands with a submarine optical fiber cable within 1,000
days. Funded by the Universal Services Obligation Fund (USOF) under the
Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, the project was executed
by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), a telecommunications company under the
ownership of the Government of India.
NEC India was awarded with this project by BSNL in
September 2021, completing it ahead of schedule in June 2023. Spanning
approximately 1,870 kilometers, the system offers an initial capacity of 2x100
Gbps, expandable up to 1,600 Gbps per fibre pair.
The system connects Kochi, a major port city in
India, with 11 Lakshadweep islands: Agatti, Andrott, Amini, Bangaram, Bitra,
Chetlat, Kadmat, Kavaratti, Kiltan, Kelpeni, and Minicoy. Providing ample
bandwidth for voice and data connectivity, the cable supports e-Governance
initiatives, facilitates new enterprises, and enables e-commerce facilities.
Aligned with the Digital India Mission, it aids knowledge sharing in
educational institutes and ensures electronic access to Government services for
citizens.
Aalok Kumar, Corporate Officer & Senior VP - Head of the Global
Smart City Business at NEC Corporation, and President & CEO of NEC
Corporation India, said, "The
successful completion of the KLI cable project, our second venture with BSNL,
marks a pivotal moment in NEC's collaboration with the Government of India
towards building a connected nation. This initiative not only puts Lakshadweep
on the digital map, it also galvanises socio-economic growth of the region.
With a forward-looking data capacity and a focus on connecting people globally,
we’re proud to facilitate comprehensive internet connectivity for the islands,
aligning with the Digital India Mission and fostering opportunities in
e-governance and digital empowerment across the region."
"Following
the successful completion of an optical submarine cable system connecting
Chennai, India and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (A&N Islands) in
December 20201, NEC is honoured to yet
again take part in this prestigious project which we hope will open a wide
range of opportunities for the people on the Lakshadweep Islands," said Atsushi
Kuwahara, Managing Director, Submarine Network Division, NEC. "We
would also like to thank USOF (DOT), BSNL, the Indian government agencies and
especially the people of the Lakshadweep Islands for welcoming this project and
helping to bring it to completion," he added.
The KLI project exemplifies NEC's dedication to
connecting the unconnected and empowering communities through cutting-edge
technology. NEC has been a leading global vendor in the submarine cable system
business for over 60 years, manufacturing submarine cables, submarine
repeaters, and terminal station equipment, in addition to coordinating marine
surveys and route design, equipment installation work, cable laying, training
and delivery testing. Until recently, NEC had procured submarine cable-laying
ships for each project separately. In order to respond to the growing demand
for new submarine cables due to the recent spread of 5G and the increase in data
traffic between data centres in various countries, NEC has chartered a
long-term dedicated cable-laying ship for the first time. As a result, NEC will
provide submarine cable systems more quickly and flexibly than ever before to
meet customer demand.
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