All Systems Go for Light-Up of Southern Cross

8 November

Media Statement from Southern Cross Cable Network

ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR LIGHT-UP OF SOUTHERN CROSS

Southern Cross Cable Network has today announced that final testing of its 30,500km trans-Pacific cable network is underway and all systems are go for the 15 November service date.

The announcement follows the successful completion of intensive confidence trials to ensure reliable performance from the start of life on 15 November to the end of the system's design life in 2025.

"After nearly two years of manufacturing, installation, commissioning and testing, we are about to open up a whole new world of global opportunity," says Baldo Sutich, CEO and President of Southern Cross Cable Network.

Loading of customer-specific data is now underway and, on 15 November, customers will be given access to their individual circuits and the network will be live.

"Once our customers have configured their network circuits the Australasian Internet community will start to feel the benefits of a bandwidth explosion brought about by Southern Cross," says Mr Sutich.

"Until now our Internet experience has been constrained by the lack of reliable and cost-effective international bandwidth to connect Australasia to the heart of the Internet - the US west coast. By removing the international bandwidth bottleneck, Southern Cross allows full participation in the online worlds of entertainment, commerce and information for the first time."

"With globalisation proceeding at a rapid pace, the significance of Southern Cross to the future strength of the Australasian economy cannot be underestimated" says Mr Sutich.

SERVICE DATE MARKS MAJOR ACHIEVEMENT FOR PROJECT TEAM The entering into service of the Southern Cross Cable Network will mark the end of more than two years of manufacturing, construction and testing for the Southern Cross project team and their suppliers, Alcatel and Fujitsu.

"For those in the project team this is a time to reflect on a job well done," says David Dean, Southern Cross Project Manager.

"Since the cable first landed in Sydney on 8 July 1999 we have used seven cables ships to lay 28,500km of undersea cable and over 500 optical repeaters that link four countries, including three US states,. We've also commissioned over 1,500km of land route, upgraded six cable station buildings and built three more from scratch."

- ENDS -

For further information contact: Philip Clark Media Contact Southern Cross Cable Network Tel +64-9-309-1494 Mob +64-25-856-040 philip@svl.co.nz

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