KT Will Be In Charge Of 11% Of World’s Communication Traffic

KT made an announcement on the 22nd that it is hosting control center NOC(Network Operation Center)) for ‘NCP(New Cross Pacific)’, which is world’s biggest underwater cable with length of 14,000 km and transfer capacity of 80 Tbps.

KT, which is already participating in construction business through a consortium, is now in charge of 11% of world traffic after adding ‘APG (Asia Pacific Gateway)’ that KT is in the process of construction and has a control center for. While APG is an underwater cable that connects Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia, NCP connects Northeast Asia and North America. Including KT and China Mobile, consortium that is composed of 5 countries’ 7 businesses such as 3 Chinese mobile telecommunication businesses, Japan’s Softbank, Taiwan’s Chunghwa Telecom, America’s Microsoft are participating in construction. Total of $474.5 million (540 billion KRW) is invested, and it is expected to be finished by end of 2107. 

If NCP is established, KT will be in charge of transfer of internet traffic between countries in Asia and Pacific region along with APG (total distance of 11,000 km, transfer capacity of 38.4 Tbps) that is expected to be opened next year. With a total capacity of 118.4 Tbps, it takes up 27% of underwater cable’s total capacity (430 Tbps) in Asia and Pacific region and 11% of world’s underwater cable’s total capacity (1,069 Tbps). 118.4 Tbps is a size where 15 million people can watch HD (8 Mbps) videos at the same time.
Not only is KT participating in construction business of NCP by putting its affiliate KT Submarine out in front, it is also playing a leading role in designing, constructing, and operating by hosting NOC. It is the first time when a single communication business is in total command of underwater cables in Asia and Pacific regions.

NOC usually manages and examines underwater cables and confirms a location when an obstacle such as an earthquake happens. Its major task is to repair by stopping communication and finding a detour. It needs high technical skills and high-tech system since repair is more important than establishment and also needs ships and submarines for repair.
KT had done variety of efforts to win a contract for NOC and establishment of underwater cables. It obtained ‘ISO 22301’ certification for continuous securing of businesses and also strengthened its position within consortium. Following its success of beating other competitors in hosting APG NOC, which opened last year in Pusan, in 2013, it had made another splendid achievement this year by winning a contract of NCP NOC. 

“By establishing APG and hosting NOC, KT has truly emerged as a global traffic hub. We will continue to strengthen our global leadership by continuously using differentiated technology skills.” said Director Oh Sung Mok of KT’s Network Department.
Importance of underwater cables is becoming bigger. Most of current traffic is not controlled by satellite but underwater cables, and world’s underwater cables with a length of 600,000 km and capacity of 1,069 Tbps are being operated by 278 systems from 340 operation businesses. Because world’s internet traffic expected to increase 829% from 2008 to 2018, it seems that neck-and-neck race to capture a leading role in underwater cables will become even more competitive.
Staff Reporter An, Hochun | [email protected]