More Int’l Bytes: Superloop, AT&T, Telefonica, Orange, BT

Yet more interesting news items from overseas to look at today, including a new player in the metro space:

Superloop, a new fiber builder and operator focused on Singapore and Australia, offered an update on its construction progress today. As of the end of June, they had the first 92km of network finished in Singapore, with 110km planned hooking up the key Global Switch, Equinix, and Digital Realty sites as well as the Katong and Tuas cable landing stations. Their Brisbane and Melbourne core networks are also now complete, and the primary fiber path in Sydney is active, with the redundant path coming online later in Q3. I haven’t run into Superloop before, but will definitely keep an eye on it.

Telefonica is preparing for the deployment of network functions virtualization. They’ve signed a new MoU with Alcatel-Lucent under which they’ll move deeper into NFV technologies. The two had already been working together to put Alcatel-Lucent’s version of the virtualized network to work in the mobile world, and they’ll be looking at other aspects including the effect of the Internet of Things on such networks.

AT&T has won a contract renewal with LVMH, which for those as non-fashion-sensitive as me is the owner of brands like Louis Vuitton and Dior. They will be providing communication services across the luxury group’s 4,500 sites in 100 countries, including plans for in-store WiFi for customers. It’s a four-year, multi-million-dollar agreement.

Orange Business Services has added a whole bunch of new reach in India. They’ve signed on for a new NNI with Tata Communications that will take its coverage up to 120 cities, an order of magnitude greater than they’ve had in the past. They’ll use that broad reach to better serve VPNs to the multinational corporate community, which is their bread and butter of course and which is itself paying more and more attention to India.

And BT took to the Alps this morning.  They’ve won a six-year global outsourcing contract with Zurich Insurance Group.  BT will be consolidating, modernizing, and managing the company’s network infrastructure across 49 countries worldwide.  That includes Zurich’s contact center, audio and video conferencing, and VPN needs.

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Categories: ILECs, PTTs · Metro fiber · NFV · Telecom Equipment