Mitsubishi Electric to Upgrade Transpacific Cable Network

Will become first company to upgrade both transpacific and transatlantic networks

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO:6503) announced today that it has signed a contract to upgrade a transpacific submarine cable network by incorporating 40 Gbps dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) and increasing transmission design capacity up to fivefold to 5.2 Tbps. The upgrade to the Asia America Gateway (AAG) Cable Network, which will involve installing submarine line terminal equipment (SLTE) in eight countries, is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2012.

The AAG Cable Network, a 10 Gbps DWDM system set up in 2009, is owned by a consortium of nineteen major telecommunications carriers and comprises over 20,000 kilometers of fiber-optic cable linking 10 landing stations located in seven Southeast Asian countries and the United States.

To satisfy the rapid increase in demand for internet traffic, there has been urgent need to raise transmission capacity and speed. A field trial conducted on the AAG Cable Network has proved that Mitsubishi Electric's new high-speed fiber-optic technology, called coherent technology ^[1], enables 40 Gbps DWDM transmissions beyond 6,600 kilometers, which was one of the key factors underpinning the upgrade contract.

"We are proud to be selected as the supplier for the AAG Cable Network capacity upgrade," said Masahiro Tsukamoto, general manager of Mitsubishi Electric's Telecommunication Systems Department. "Having received an order for similar work on the transatlantic TAT-14 Cable Network, Mitsubishi Electric will become the first supplier of 40 Gbps upgrades to both transpacific and transatlantic networks. We now look forward to building on these wins to assist other network operators with high-quality upgrades."

Mitsubishi Electric has been a leader in submarine cable systems ever since supplying the world's first 5 Gbps optically amplified repeaters for a transpacific cable in 1994. In 1999, the company supplied the world's first 10 Gbps transmission technology for transoceanic cables, comprising 10 Gbps optically amplified repeaters and SLTE. Since 2004, the company has performed upgrades for various undersea cable systems while continuing to expand its capabilities in this field.

[1] Development of this technology is in part supported by the "R&D on High Speed Optical Transport System Technologies" project of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) of Japan.

About the Consortium

The eight AAG parties which have contracted for the upgrade are AT&T, Brunei International Gateway, CAT Telecom, PLDT, StarHub, TM, Telstra and VNPT.

About Mitsubishi Electric

With 90 years of experience in providing reliable, high-quality products to both corporate clients and general consumers all over the world, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO:6503) is a recognized world leader in the manufacture, marketing and sales of electrical and electronic equipment used in information processing and communications, space development and satellite communications, consumer electronics, industrial technology, energy, transportation and building equipment. The company recorded consolidated group sales of 3,645.3 billion yen (US$ 43.9 billion*) in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011. For more information visit http://www.MitsubishiElectric.com

*At an exchange rate of 83 yen to the US dollar, the rate given by the Tokyo Foreign Exchange Market on March 31, 2011

CONTACT:

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
Product Inquiries:
Telecommunication Systems Department
Tel: +81-3-3218-6221
Chiba.Atsushi@ah.MitsubishiElectric.co.jp
or
Media Contact:
Yurika Fujimoto, +81-3-3218-3380
Public Relations Division
prd.gnews@nk.MitsubishiElectric.co.jp
http://www.MitsubishiElectric.com/news

KEYWORDS:   Asia Pacific  Japan

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:   Technology  Hardware  Internet  Networks  Telecommunications  Other Technology

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