MCI WorldCom Officially Launches Highest Bandwidth Internet Link (STM-1) for Chung Hwa Telecom HiNet.
TAIPEI - 13th April 2000
MCI WorldCom Taiwan, a new, wholly owned operating company to serve the business community in Taiwan since late 1999, today officially announced the launch of the highest capacity Internet-pipe for Chung Hwa Telecom to expand and upgrade HiNet, the Taiwan national carrier's Internet service provider (ISP). MCI WorldCom is to provide a high-speed, STM1 digital circuit link to the United States, giving HiNet the largest data capacity of any ISP in Taiwan.
The STM-1 contract was signed up by Hsu Kwei-Pi, Head of the Chunghwa Telecom's Data Communications Business Group last December, and just by March 26 this year the installation has been finished by MCI WorldCom Taiwan. MCI WorldCom is to provide end-to-end service in systems integration and project management for HiNet, including network management, monitoring and training for HiNet staff.
Under the contract, MCI WorldCom installs an SMT1 circuit up to 155M bps in a single trunk that helps HiNet ease the traffic from Taiwan to US in which the majority of Taiwan Internet users are currently using. HiNet estimates the capacity of the circuit is expected to increase once again by end of 2000 due to two fold user-growth every year. This contract also includes the network integration of Internet and the co-location of PAIX in the US where MCI WorldCom personnel will to help HiNet manage their equipment and network. HiNet technical staff will be also beneficiated by being well trained via MCI WorldCom in terms of knowledge of equipments and network management.
"Chung Hwa Telecom and HiNet have grown enormously as our customers require more data transmission capacity. As a future-looking company, we need to plan for continued data expansion by ensuring we have reliable, robust bandwidth such as that provided by MCI WorldCom" said Mr. Yao Chen, President of Chung Hwa Telecom. "We are exceptionally pleased to have signed a deal with MCI WorldCom, a world-leading company which is recognized globally for its telecommunications expertise."
The link was set forth in a launch ceremony with button being pressed by Yao Chen, Chairman of Chung Hwa Telecom, and Mr. William Barney, President, MCI WorldCom Asia Pacific. A dot-light stretching from Taiwan to USA symbolized the success of the STM-1 circuit launch. Witnesses to the ceremony included Hsueh-Chin Lu, General Manager of Chung Hwa Telecom, Hsu Kwei-Pi, Head of the Chunghwa Telecom's Data Communications Business Group, and Howard Chow, Managing Director of MCI WorldCom North Asia, and Johnson Tsai, General Manager of MCI WorldCom Taiwan.
"Our primary mission is to provide the telecommunications capacity that Taiwan and Asia Pacific need as the Internet economy becomes a reality." said Mr. William Barney, President, MCI WorldCom Asia Pacific. "MCI WorldCom's STM-1 circuit will bring the biggest Internet pipe in Taiwan, straight to HiNet. It's exceptionally exciting to see this kind of capacity come to Taipei. We look upon that this a good start being with Chung Hwa Telecom and HiNet, and we look forward further intensive relationships with them by providing our strong telecom expertise."
About Chung Hwa Telecom
Chung Hwa Telecom was established three more years ago as a state-run communications enterprise, separated from the regulatory body of the Directorate General of Telecommunications (DGT). Chung Hwa Telecom is Taiwan's telecommunications leader with 12 million local telephone exchanges, primarily digitized, and 860,000 long distance digitized toll switching lines. The company developed HiNet as its Internet Service Provider (ISP). A majority of the ISPs in Taiwan use HiNet as their switching Hub to exchange their internet packets with the world. HiNet, which has experienced over 200% growth per year with 1.5 million paid user-base, also provides users with a broad range of content services such as Real Time Stock Quotation Systems.
MCI WorldCom Taiwan
Based in Taipei, MCI WorldCom Taiwan provides customers with international data communications services as well as connectivity into Taiwan for the company's worldwide customer base. MCI WorldCom is providing a mix of International Frame Relay, and later ATM services. These services improve business productivity by reducing the cost of high-speed data communications. As e-business becomes a reality throughout Asia Pacific and in Taiwan, the need for effective, data bandwidth is becoming a key issue.
In addition, MCI WorldCom Taiwan provides the service portfolio offered by the company's Internet division, UUNET, satisfying the full spectrum of customer requirements with a customized bundled service.
