The Singapore-based Campana Group and Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks, now a subsidiary of Nokia, have announced plans to build MYTHIC (Myanmar-Malaysia-Thailand International Connection), a 1,600 km submarine cable system that will link Myanmar to Malaysia and Thailand with onward connectivity to Singapore, Hong Kong and beyond.
According to Campana, MYTHIC will offer a quicker, cost-effective and more reliable solution to meet Myanmar's huge growth in demand for international connectivity and will provide greater route diversity for data traffic.
Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks will be responsible for the project on a turnkey basis.
The two pair system will be based on 100Gbps technology and will have an initial design capacity of 20Tbps. It is scheduled to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2017. It will connect Thanlyin, 18km south-east of Yangon, the commercial capital of Myanmar, with Satun Thailand with the option to extend to Penang, Malaysia and beyond. Campana's partners will then offer diverse fiber backhaul to Singapore via open access points of presence and to landing stations of other international submarine cables.
Myo Ohn, CEO of Campana Group, said, ""Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks came through a rigorous tender process run by our project team. We are confident that the system configuration and its timely delivery will allow Campana, which recently received its submarine cable landing license, to compete successfully in this emerging market that has so much potential. MYTHIC will be the default solution, both for Myanmar operators requiring connectivity to regional Internet exchange hubs, and for regional operators looking to serve their customers' needs in Myanmar.""
Campana is backed by major ICT companies in Malaysia and Thailand, and by one of the largest commercial banks in Thailand. It intends to become the leading provider of wholesale international transport and IP transit services between Myanmar and the rest of the World, offering open access to all licensed operators.
