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Telecommunications PNG disconnected as aging cable fails
Telecommunications PNG disconnected as aging cable fails | PNG disconnected as aging cable fails |
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| Written by Stuart Corner | |
| Tuesday, 07 February 2006 | |
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According to a report from Asia Pulse, the cable, which connects to Australia via Cairns, failed on 2 February and has still not been repaired. After 17 hours Telikom PNG was able to restore communications using a PanAmSat satellite via a ground station in Hong Kong. Until its failure the 30 year old co-axial cable was the world's oldest still in operation and with a capacity of only 8Mbps was inadequate for the nation's needs. A replacement is being planned in what would be the world's first recycling of a submarine cable. About 2000kms of the unused PacRim West fibre optic cable running between Australia and Guam are to be hauled up and relaid between Sydney and PNG. Asia Pulse quoted Telikom chairman, Florian Gubon, saying that Telikom was on the verge of signing an agreement with Optus, SingTel and Telecom New Zealand, among others for this project. Telikom PNG would pay about $US6 million, Asia Pulse reported. In mid 2005, John Hibbard, a consultant to Telikom PNG for the project told telecoms industry newsletter, Exchange, that plans for the recycling of the PacRim West cable to serve PNG were under development. The cable had ceased carrying traffic but remained powered up to preserve it. It is only 10 years old so is well within its 25 years design life and its 1.1Gbps would, he said, be more than sufficient for PNG. The 2000kms of cable would hauled off the sea bed, stored in the cable tanks of a cable laying ship and then re-laid on its new route. "There is the possibility that it has been damaged by abrasion on the sea floor, and you have the stress of pulling it up and relaying it." Hibbard told Exchange. He added: "The biggest risk is the unknown: nobody has ever done this before." At that stage no firm decision had been taken to go ahead with the project.
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