KMI Predicts Transpacific Undersea Systems Will Surpass Transatlantic

NEWPORT, R.I., July 27 -- KMI Corp., a Rhode Island-based consulting firm specializing in the fiber optics and telecommunications markets, reported that more than $65 billion will be invested in undersea fiber optic systems worldwide by 2003. Twelve billion of that sum will be concentrated in the Atlantic ocean and $15 billion in the Pacific ocean over the next three years, KMI said.
This is the first time since fiber optic undersea systems have been installed that investment and future potential capacity in the transpacific route will eclipse that of the Atlantic, said Stacey Yates, specialist in the fiber optic undersea systems market and director of market research for KMI.
The 2000 Worldwide Summary of Fiber Optic Undersea Systems report is based on a KMI database that represents more than 800 links made up of 325 undersea systems. The database tracks the systems by capacity, landing point, cost, cutover date, suppliers and owners.