China Telecom, HGC Global Communications to build network along bridge

China Telecommunications Corporation (China Telecom), mainland China’s largest fixed-line and FDD LTE operator, and HGC Global Communications (HGC), a fixed-line operator, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on May 8 to build a network interconnection system via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZM Bridge).

Directly connecting mainland China to the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau, the HZM Bridge will be the longest cross-ocean bridge in the world, at a length of 55km. The Bridge is expected to significantly enhance economic connection across the region and act as a catalyst for collaboration.

The new fibre connection along the HZM Bridge will provide capacity for anticipated growth in cross-border network traffic, ensuring low-latency across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Bay Area (Greater Bay Area), and fueling the growth of China’s Greater Bay Area initiative. 

Upon completion, the new CTG and HGC link will boost the traffic capacity by at least 100 Gbps, with design capacity of 8 Tbps. Deng Xiaofeng, MD, Global Business Department of China Telecom, said, “China Telecom is pleased to establish an interconnection with HGC at the HZM Bridge. With both parties’ diverse network connection routes and our history of close cooperation, the new fibre connection will provide customers of both parties with stable and reliable service, meeting the ever-increasing demand in the Greater Bay Area and neighbouring countries and regions.”

China Telecom is the most prominent fixed-line operator in China and the largest FDD LTE operator in the world. FDD LTE is a 4G standard and stands for frequency division duplexing long term evolution.

The company has experience in providing international terrestrial and submarine cable resources as well as global telecommunications solutions. Since 1988, China Telecom has established cross-border links with 10 telecommunications operators in Hong Kong and Macau across five ports. Its contribution has helped to boost total traffic capacity up to 17 Tbps while offering services like voice communication, private leased circuits, and Internet services.

At end-2017 China Telecom had over 160 million broadband Internet subscribers, more than 260 million mobile subscribers, and 100 million-plus IPTV subscribers.

HGC Global Communications (HGC) is a Hong Kong and international fixed-line operator. The company owns network and infrastructure in Hong Kong and overseas and serves other operators, corporations and households. The company provides full-fledged telecom, data centre services, ICT solutions and broadband services for local, overseas, corporate and mass markets.

HGC owns and operates a fibreoptic network, four cross-border telecom routes integrated into tier-one telecom operators in mainland China and is also one of Hong Kong’s largest Wi-Fi service providers, running over 29,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in Hong Kong.

HGC is a portfolio company of I Squared Capital, an independent global infrastructure investment manager.

www.hgc.com.hk