Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco), which is the incumbent carrier in Bahrain, has selected Ciena’s Converged Packet Optical Platform as the foundation for the new Batelco Gulf Network (BGN), which will connect all the countries across the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) in the Arabian Gulf region. Financial terms were not disclosed.
BGN will operate state-of-the-art OTN infrastructure as an alternative to more vulnerable submarine cables. The BGN terrestrial fibre cable extends 1,400km and is managed by Batelco with full control and manageability and can be interconnected with other regional and global cable systems for access to onward connectivity to Europe, Asia, Africa and the rest of the world.
Batelco Chief Global Business Officer Adel Al-Daylami said that Batelco chose to invest in the Batelco Gulf Network as a fully owned and managed terrestrial fiber optic cable network, thus providing the country a new state of the art international gateway that will enable Bahrain to meet the growing demand for data services and applications.
Ciena Vice President and General Manager EMEA, Keri Gilder said, “Ciena is delighted to partner with Batelco on the Batelco Gulf Network, which will enhance communications and deliver world class networking services for customers, and position Bahrain as a regional leader and innovator in telecoms services. Ciena is committed to supporting Batelco through our extensive global experience and expertise, and comprehensive professional services in the region, to deliver highly secure and reliable connectivity to Batelco and its customers.”
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