International Network

FibraLink’s international network is currently a linear network linking Jamaica to Puerto Plata, Dominica Republic where it interfaces with the ARCOS Network.

The submarine cable that extends from Jamaica to Puerto Plata is 791 km with eleven (11) repeaters and one dormant branching unit adjacent to the shores of Haiti. The cable types are a mixture of DA, SA, LWA, and LWP and are deployed according to best practice design standards. It is a 3 fibre pair (6 fibres) system with 2 fibre pairs utilized for redundant terminal equipment and 1 pair for the branching unit. 40Gb/s was turned up at the ready for service date of 31 March 2006 with a design capacity of 320 Gb/s.

The branching unit can be equipped with a single end terminal feed or from both Puerto Plata and Bull Bay, depending on the level of protection required. Since the branching utilises a separate fibre pair, the design capacity is 320 Gb/s but can be put into service in any number of configurations.

Currently the FibraLink Network is a linear system with plan for protection to be established when final regulatory approvals are obtained.

ARCOS Network

The Americas Region Caribbean Optical - Ring System ('ARCOS') is an undersea fiber optic - cable system that was developed by New World Network Ltd. ('New World') an affiliate of FibraLink. Together with a group of leading telecommunication companies, New World contracted for the construction of ARCOS to provide the most technically advanced communications network in the Caribbean region connecting U.S., Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Curaçao, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and Mexico with service already underway.

The efficient topology of ARCOS (physical ring) makes the network fully redundant, allowing ARCOS to automatically select the strongest signal for optimal transmission quality and reliability, while providing built-in real-time signal restoration. In the event of cable failure, network restoration is achieved via SNCP (Sub Network Connection Protection).The protection switching is almost immediate, service interruption is undetectable and traffic is not affected unless the system suffers multiple failures. Both signal paths (Working & Protect) are analyzed simultaneously and, if either side falls below the pre-established threshold, the path is switched in less than 50ms.

The network is an 8,600 km fully redundant ring, consisting of both repeatered and non-repeatered cable segments using state-of-the-art Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing ('DWDM') and Synchronous Digital Hierarchy ('SDH') technology. The system is currently operating at 35 gigabits per second ('Gb/s'), with a multiple upgraded design capacity of 960 Gb/s.

FibraLink customers have the option of purchasing either linear or protected capacity on the ARCOS Network as a solution for Jamaican capacity.

FibraLink’s Network has very low latency with total transit time from Jamaica to Florida of 28 ms.

Jamaica Network

The objective of the network design was to have a robust network without any single point of failure. The network has three components: (1) Fibre Landing Points; (2) Cable Stations and Hubs; and (3) Fibre Backbone.

Fibre Landing Points FibraLink has three fibre landing points in Jamaica:

Cable Stations & Hubs
FibraLink has three cable stations and one telecommunication hub in Jamaica. Additional hubs will be constructed over the next 30 months with the Spanish Town/Portmore hubs to be ready for service in June 2007. The facilities are located as follows:

• Bull Bay (H0): FibraLink has entered into a 25-year IRU for approximately 2,000 square feet in the existing AT&T facility located at Bull Bay, Jamaica approximately 2 km east of Kingston. This facility is manned 7 X 24.
• New Kingston (H1): FibraLink, through an associated company, established a point of presence at 9 Trinidad Terrace, Kingston 5. The 4,000 square foot facility serves as a co-location facility and provides a convenient location for customers who require New Kingston connectivity.
• Spanish Town/Portmore (H2): The Spanish Town/Portmore facility will be ready for service in June 2007. Until this facility is established, the fibres from Bull Bay will have continuity to Ocho Rios. Once constructed, H2 has been designed to serve customers in the Spanish Town/Portmore area by shortening the local loop lengths.
• Montego Bay (H4): FibraLink constructed a 700 sq. ft. cable station on leased property from Chas E. Ramson Limited in Reading, Montego Bay.
• Ocho Rios (H5): FibraLink constructed a 700 sq. ft. cable station on leased property from Couples Resort in Ocho Rios, Frankfort.

All of the cable stations and hubs are reinforced masonry construction designed to category 5 hurricane standards with structural concrete roofs. All mechanical and electrical systems are fully redundant. Each station and hub has the following:

a. Two independent air conditioning units

b. Two (2) independent back-up diesel generators

c. Fuels tanks with a minimum of 5 days running capacity

d. Automatic fuel conditioning system to control algae, particulate contaminants, and water

e. Up to 12 hours of DC battery back-up

f. Waterless fire suppression systems

g. Video, motion and opening contact monitoring

h. 24/7 property security

i. Diverse fibre connectivity

As new stations and hubs are constructed, the above standards will be maintained.

Fibre Backbone
FibraLink’s Jamaica fibre backbone is depicted in the diagram above. The segments depicted in blue are ready for service while the segments depicted in red will be constructed by the 4th quarter 2007.

Table 1 | Segment to segment
 

From	To	Type	Primary Route	Protection Route
H0 - Bull Bay	H1 - Trinidad Terrace	Terrestrial	16 Km underground	16 Km aerial
H0 - Bull Bay	H2 - Spanish Town/ Portmore	Terrestrial	40 Km underground	42 Km aerial (passes through H1)
H0 - Bull Bay	H5 - Ocho Rios	Marine & Terrestrial	275 Km marine (leased from C&W)	115 Km aerial & underground
H5 - Ocho Rios	H4 - Montego Bay	Marine	125 Km	None

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