A fiber-optic link between the United States and Puerto Rico was scheduled to be working by June, as the first part of the larger Americas Region Caribbean Optical-Ring System (ARCOS). When completed, ARCOS will link North and South America through a new fiber-optic cable network established by New World Network (www.nwncable.com).
In May, New World announced the successful landing of fiber-optic cable in Cartagena, Colombia, marking the completion of ARCOS' South American portion. ARCOS will be an 8,600-kilometer single-source network that will offer connections from the U.S. to 24 landing points through the Caribbean, Central, and South America.
The project began in September 1998, and has the capacity to deliver individual voice, data, Internet, and full-motion video up to the 40-gigabit range. According to Vincent Wilson, New World's executive vice president of planning and carrier relations, "The network will provide unlimited bandwidth to areas such as the Caribbean and Central America that are currently only served by satellite service."
New World calls itself a carrier's carrier, which means, according to Wilson, that it "can handle the needs of large carriers and other systems." In essence, New World will warehouse the capacity and sell it to approximately 28 other carriers throughout the ARCOS network. It will represent the first high-speed platform between North and South America.
The $400 million ARCOS network is being constructed jointly by Corning, TyCom Inc. and Siemens A.G., and is scheduled to be completed by October.
-Michelle Abrams
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