Tyco Telecommunications (US) Inc. lands Antilles Crossing cable system.(SUBMARINE)

Tyco Telecommunications announced the completion of both the St. Lucia and Barbados landings of the Antilles Crossing Cable System. Antilles Crossing is a 940km state-of the-art undersea fiber-optic cable system linking St. Lucia, Barbados, and St. Croix. Antilles Crossing will provide reliable, high-speed communications to the rest of the world. The bandwidth available on the Antilles Crossing Cable system is scalable to meet the region's evolving telecommunications and Internet needs, both for today and for many years to come. Undersea cable systems aggregate data from various communication mediums (fixed-line, microwave, cell-phone, and even satellite) and transport it on today's information superhighways. Undersea cable systems transport over 90 percent of all international communications.

Both the Barbados and St. Lucia landings are being conducted by the Cable Ship Teneo, one of the most advanced cable ships afloat. After the shore-end landing in Barbados is complete, the Teneo will head north to complete the shore-end segment in St. Croix, followed by the final splice. Installation of the transmission equipment at the Viggie Beach, St. Lucia, cable station, as well as at the Needhams Point, Barbados, and Hamms Bay, St. Croix, cable stations, is complete. Tyco Telecommunications expects to have the system up and running--connecting Barbados, St. Lucia, and St. Croix to the rest of the world--by June.

William Marra, vice president and general manager Tyco Telecommunications, stated, "Existing cable systems that service the region are more than a decade old. During the past few years, optical transmission and network protection techniques, as well as cable installation and protection methods have evolved significantly. These new practices have been incorporated into the Antilles Crossing Cable System, resulting in a very robust, reliable, high speed state-of-the-art undersea fiber-optic system that will satisfy the telecommunications needs of Barbados and St. Lucia for years to come."

As the supplier of Antilles Crossing, Tyco Telecommunications expressed gratitude for the exceptional support and assistance provided by the men and women of Antilles Crossing, Leucadia, Ectel, Barbados Light & Power, and Network Research.