Asian Internet links

Asian Internet links

TOKYO (AFP): Telecommunications operators in Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan will build an Internet network directly linking their service areas by the end of this year, a newspaper report said Saturday.

The network, using existing fiber-optic marine cables, will enable direct Internet communications among the four robust Asian markets, instead of hookups via the United States, the leading economic newspaper Nihon Keizai said.

An agreement on the project has been reached by Japan's KDD, Korea Tele-Communication Ind. Corp., Singapore Telecommunications Pte. Ltd. and Taiwan's international telecommunications bureau, the report said.

The partners will also call on telecom operators in Hong Kong, China and Australia to join the Asian Internet network, the newspaper said.

KDD also plans to expand the capacity of its Internet link to the major US telecom operator MCI Communications Corp. to 45 megabytes by early next year from the current four megabytes, the report said.