Hutchison expands infrastructure in Hong Kong to increase bandwidth

Fixed-line network operator Hutchison Global Communications (HGC) is expanding its high-capacity infrastructure as it prepares to launch a range of new services from the second half of this year.

With a capital expenditure budget of HK$700 million, HGC has started deploying a new "backbone network" that will increase transmission speeds to 100 gigabits per second from 10Gbps to meet demand for high bandwidth from businesses and consumers.

The "100G" network will enable HGC, a division of Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong, to deliver online and content services to its network of more than 10,000 buildings with direct fibre-optic connections.

It will also serve as the infrastructure through which TVB Network Vision, the pay-television business of free-to-air broadcaster Television Broadcasts, will transmit matches of the 2014 football World Cup in Brazil to subscribers.

Jennifer Tan Yuen-chun, HGC's managing director, said: "Upgrading our backbone network is the major focus this year."

The company recently contracted Swedish firm Transmode to supply packet-optical networking systems for this new high-capacity network for three years. This will interconnect a large number of HGC's corporate customers, its data centres and submarine cable landing stations across the city.

"I believe we have invested the most over the past 10 years to develop an advanced high-speed network, compared with other providers," Tan said. "We are working hard to deliver a network that will support intelligent buildings and the smart-connected devices that people use."