Batelco Gulf Network collaborates with Ciena to upgrade cable capacity

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Batelco Gulf Network (BGN), a cable system that provides the GCC with regional and international connectivity solutions, has been upgraded in collaboration with Ciena, to meet the demand for high-bandwidth connectivity and capacity for Batelco’s customers and international carriers.

Spanning over 1,400 km of fibre optic cables, the BGN which was launched in 2018, is a protected terrestrial network connecting the GCC to the Middle East and the world beyond through a single seamless network that is owned and managed by Batelco.

The BGN cable system, which has the capability to support up to 17.6Tbps and beyond through its main and protected routes, has been meeting the ever-growing data movement demands in the region, which are driven by the introduction of new digital services related to data, content, over-the-top (OTT) communications, IoT, 5G, eCommerce, mobile payments, and managed services.

The recent upgrade has doubled the available capacity to meet the future demands for global data transmission along with the speed, performance, reliability, and scalability that customers require. Furthermore, the upgrade benefits operators by enabling more flexibility when managing their interconnections while delivering cost-effective solutions.

Commenting on the upgrade, Azz-Eddine Mansouri, General Manager at Ciena Middle East, said: “Demand for over-the-top services and high-speed content continues to surge from consumers and businesses across the GCC. Batelco’s recent BGN upgrade with Ciena, a networking systems, services and software company, plays a pivotal role in meeting these connectivity needs and in helping to improve the digital experiences for subscribers in the region.”

Hani Askar, Acting General Manager of Global Business at Batelco, added: “Batelco is pleased to continue its collaboration with Ciena to upgrade and expand the capacity on the BGN to meet the growing demands from the market, including the increased demand on Manama-IX and Global Zone. Batelco always utilises the latest technology, software, and solutions to meet the continuous growth in capacity requirements as well as meet customer’s demands for exceptional delivery timelines. The BGN transports significant quantities of data and our efforts to support future requirements means that we are always ready to address any surge in IP traffic. A key differentiator of the BGN is its protection network setup which utilizes dual routes along key paths of the cable system to provide added resiliency. Ciena’s expertise enables us to achieve our vision and commitment in ensuring BGN is a reliable alternative to more vulnerable submarine cables, all with scalable capacity and the shortest inter-Gulf latency.”

He concluded: “Batelco was visionary in investing in building the required digital ecosystem, which includes international submarine cables, Tier III certified data centres and the BGN, as having the right ecosystem in place will help the customers with their digital transformation journey while also catering to Bahrain’s growing digital economy.”