TyCom Lights up the Atlantic - transatlantic segment of TyCom Global Network installed - Brief Article

Fiber Optics Business, July 15, 2001

On June 4, 2001, TyCom Ltd. announced that the transatlantic segment of the TyCom Global Network (TGN), connecting New York, London, Paris, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam has been installed and is in its final testing phase. The system is now carrying multiple 10 Gbps wavelengths of commissioning traffic and will be ready to carry commercial traffic by the end of June.

TyCom has also received orders for STM-level broadband capacity on the transatlantic system and other parts of TGN in recent weeks and a portion of the revenue will be recognized in the current quarter ending June 30, 2001.

TyCom Transatlantic is a four-fiber pair ring system capable of carrying 64 fully protected 10 Gbps wavelengths, for a designed traffic-carrying capacity of 2.56 Tbps. This capacity is greater than that of any other transatlantic system installed to date.

"Thanks to the dedicated efforts of all our employees, both on land and at sea, we're pleased to announce that the first circuits in the TyCom Global Network are now being commissioned across the Atlantic," said Neil Garvey, president and CEO of TyCom. "The fact that the transatlantic segment -- offering the highest capacity installed on this major route -- is in place ahead of schedule underscores both our technology leadership and our commitment to on-time deployment."

Garvey continued, "Given current conditions in the highly competitive transatlantic market, the sales on our system clearly indicate that customers recognize the growing importance of high quality service and financial stability in a capacity provider. When customers sign an IRU or lease for capacity, they also want the assurance that their supplier will be there over the long term. This is what we provide."

Both the new Global Network Management Center in the US and the Customer Care Center in Bermuda are now operational. Co-location facilities are available at TyCom's TelExchange centers in each major city along the transatlantic and northern European routes.