Japan, Russia sign deal on fiber optic cable expansion

NTT Communications and Transtelecom of Russia have struck a deal to lay a fiber optic cable network between Hokkaido and Sakhalin, a Kyodo News report said.

The Kyodo News report said NTT Communications will try to respond to an increase in demand among corporate clients for fast-speed data transmissions between Japan and Europe as well as Japan and Russia.

The 500-kilometer high-capacity undersea cable will be connected between Ishiakari in northern Japan and Nevelsk in Russia's Far East by the end of 2007, the two companies said.

The network will transmit data at up to 640Gbps, the report further said.

The signing took place on the occasion of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov's two-day visit to Japan, on which he is being accompanied by about 70 Russian business leaders, the Kyodo News report said.