China Telecom Geared Up Global Network Development, Significantly Enhancing International Capabilities

27 Dec 2004

In order to ensure sustainable development and realize the strategic goal of becoming a world-class telecommunications operator, China Telecom geared up efforts to develop a global network and achieved remarkable progress in 2004.

This year China Telecom took full advantage of market opportunities and made three large-scale acquisitions of underwater-cable capacity, totaling 66.4 G, from overseas cable companies and operators at very low prices. The acquisitions increased China Telecoms total overseas transport capacity by 3.4 times within a single year and set a new record, in terms of both the scale and unit price of acquisition, in the history of the global telecommunications industry.

China Telecom achieved new progress in the construction of land cable networks in the neighboring regions of China. Entrusted by the Ministry of Information Industry for the construction of an Information Highway in the Large Mekong Sub-region, albeit on a tentative basis as yet, China Telecom kicked off this year the construction of land fiber-optic cables and transport channels between China and Vietnam, Laos and Burma, respectively. China Telecom also signed an Agreement on the Construction and Maintenance of China-Russia Cable with Russian Telecom. After completion, the China-Russia Cable is expected to significantly enhance the communication capacity between Asia and Europe.

Meanwhile, China Telecom is in the process of setting up overseas nodes in the US, Hong Kong, Europe, Japan and Singapore, shaping the basic framework of its global network.

China Telecom saw remarkable enhancements in its international communication capabilities in 2004, maintaining a significant edge over its domestic competitors.

Reported on Dec.24,2004