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.