AboveNet Communications Inc. Tuesday won a contract from AT&T to provide Internet connectivity and facility management to one of Asia’s largest Internet service providers.
Under the three-year agreement with AT&T/Asia/Pacific, AboveNet will
provide co-location, network connectivity and facility management to Hinet, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chunghwa Telecom. Based in Taiwan, the ISP
carries an estimated 60 percent of that nation’s total Internet traffic.
According to Sherman Tuan, AboveNet’s chairman and chief executive officer, the company’s Internet connectivity now provides one-hop connections from Taiwan enabling Hinet’s customers to utilize high-bandwidth applications including voice over IP.
By locating its routers within the AboveNet facility, Hinet has direct
access to other Asia-Pacific and domestic ISPs co-located at AboveNet’s
San Jose, Calif., facility. Through AboveNet’s network, Hinet can access European ISPs co-located at AboveNet’s East Coast facility. Hinet will further benefit from AboveNet’s 200-plus peering agreements worldwide.
“The establishment of one-hop connectivity from Hinet validates that
AboveNet’s San Jose facility is rapidly being recognized as the Internet
hub of Asia Pacific,” said Jerry Chen, AboveNet’s vice president of Asia Pacific.
“AboveNet and AT&T are providing Hinet with the means to ensure
its customers can experience the potential of the Internet while at the
same time, providing Hinet a more efficient, cost-effective way to manage
its business and expand its Internet presence.”
Tuesday’s announcement brings AboveNet’s Asia Pacific Rim client base to
16. The company won contracts with numerous Asian ISPs in the final
quarter of 1998, including East
Telecom and SRS International in China and HKNet in Hong Kong.
