Verizon Completes Singapore Fiber Build, Increasing Network Coverage and Doubling Capacity

NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon has completed a fiber-optic network expansion project in Singapore, greatly increasing the company's network coverage and doubling capacity for enterprise customers. Located primarily in the northern and western parts of Singapore, the new fiber network gives customers access to strategic network facilities including submarine-cable landing stations and data centers.

The complex fiber construction project was a joint effort between Verizon and M1 Limited, a leading provider of mobile, broadband and fixed communications services in Singapore. Teams from both companies worked together for two years to complete the network build.   

"Singapore's geographic location makes the country a strategic gateway between Europe and Asia for our global customers," said Yali Liu, Verizon executive director of global network planning. "Our expanded network in Singapore is an essential communications platform customers need today and in the future."

Verizon's new Singapore fiber-optic ring now extends 160 kilometers (100 miles) and significantly increases network coverage for enterprise and government customers.

In addition to the fiber build, Verizon also deployed advanced optical technology on the network expansion to meet customer bandwidth requirements in Singapore. Using communications equipment called a ROADM (reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer), which has dynamic and flexible capabilities, the network will be able to initially support speeds of 40 gigabits per second and, ultimately, speeds of 100 Gbps and beyond as the market grows.

"There is no doubt that our customers require massive amounts of bandwidth and capacity for their applications," Liu said.  "It is our responsibility to stay ahead of our customers' needs, and design and build robust dynamic networks that support their growing demands, especially in the emerging markets like Singapore."

The expansion also gives Verizon access to six additional data centers throughout Singapore. Customers in Singapore who need access to Verizon's cloud offerings will be able to use the new network to connect to Verizon's Asia-Pacific data and cloud center in Hong Kong.

Verizon also will have the opportunity to maximize its infrastructure investment -- and better serve customers -- by placing customer traffic in Singapore directly on its own network. This enables the company to manage the traffic from the beginning to the end of a transmission and thus quickly fix an issue, often before there is any service impact.

With the additional capacity and access to strategic submarine-cable landing stations in Singapore, customers will be able to take more advantage of Verizon's global mesh network. Meshing is a network architecture that provides additional network paths for rerouting traffic in the event of a cable cut or other network disruption. Verizon deployed two mesh nodes in Singapore in 2009 and currently has an eight-way mesh network in the Asia-Pacific region. The mesh network currently operates at 99.999 percent of network availability.

"This Singapore network expansion has so many benefits for our global and regional customers," Liu said. "When you combine the additional capacity, access to network facilities, the advanced optical network technology and future bandwidth scalability, our network is well-positioned to support our customers now and into the future."

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with more than 106 million total connections nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 196,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of $106.6 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon