Gemini, the world’s first transatlantic network, designed to
carry Internet, multimedia, and voice services on a city-to-city basis, is
now online.
The 60 gigabit-per-second network has been completed ahead of schedule by
Gemini Submarine Cable System Ltd., a joint venture of Cable & Wireless and
WorldCom.
In a statement, the company said that its huge capacity “is ready to meet
the explosive demand for bandwidth intensive services at a time when the
domestic online population either side of the Atlantic is set to rise from
40 million to 80 million this year.”
One of the key benefits will be that companies setting up transnational
intranets and extranets can feel confident that there is sufficient
bandwidth to cope with anticipated growth. The partners in the venture say
it is “a milestone in telecommunications development.”
Cable and Wireless plc provides communications for 15 million customers in
over 70 countries. WorldCom Inc. operates in more than 50 countries,
providing fully integrated local, long distance, international, and
Internet services.