'Chennai-Andaman submarine cable system project to be completed by 2020'

The Chennai-Andaman and Nicobar Islands (CANI) submarine cable systems project is expected to be completed by 2020, an official of the Japan-based NEC Corporation, the company implementing the 2,300 km long undersea project, said.

A submarine communications cable is a cable laid on the seabed between land-based stations to transmit telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean and sea.

Earlier, the state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited had placed an order with NEC Technologies India Pvt. Ltd. (NECTI) to design, engineer, supply, install, test and implement an optical submarine cable system connecting Tamil Nadu's capital Chennai and the union territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands (A&N Islands) in the Bay of Bengal.

NEC Corporation, the parent company of NECTI, will manufacture the optical submarine cable at its facility in Japan and provide technical assistance during the turnkey implementation, Atushi Kuwahara, Head of Administration, Submarine Network Division, NEC Corporation told PTI in Tokyo.

On the current status of the project, he said the submarine cable and repeaters cable have been manufactured and it will take another one year to be completed.

Now what is left is "cable loading, cable laying (done by ship), CLS installation and commissioning tests. This will be the first landing of cable in the islands," he said, adding that it will allow residents and tourists to connect with the rest of the world using high speed internet services.

Kuwahara, however, did not disclose the total value of the project.

Compared to satellites, using internet connection through submarine cables is more reliable, cost efficient and of large capacity, he said, adding that it is best for telecom infrastructure, applications like HD TV, high speed internet, data transmission, high speed mobile terminals, among others.

"The cable system will provide the A&N Islands with sufficient bandwidth for supporting voice and data connectivity that enable the implementation of e-governance initiatives, such as the establishment of enterprises and e-commerce facilities," as per NEC Corporation.

"The system will also assist educational institutes in sharing knowledge and will play a significant role in driving the "Digital India" vision, a campaign launched by the Government of India to ensure that government services are made available to citizens electronically," according to the company.

Speaking on the importance of the project, the official said once completed, it will open the gateway to Southeast Asian markets for the company.

Besides CANI, the company is undertaking two more cable projects -- 3,500-km long Hong Kong-Guam (HK-G) cable system project and 9,500-km long Japan-Guam-Hong Kong (JGA) project -- he said.

NEC Corporation has over 98,000 employees and operations in public, enterprise, telecom carrier, system platform and various other sectors in over 168 countries and territories, including India.