Bharti to expand cable network to Bhutan

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Indian telecom major Bharti Airtel said on Tuesday that it has signed an accord with the government of Bhutan to expand the firm's optic fibre cable network to the Himalayan kingdom.

The initiative will enable enterprises in Bhutan to reach out to the world by accessing Bharti’s cable assets through its International cable landing stations in Chennai and Mumbai, said a press release. The terrestrial fiber optic link to Bhutan will be ring protected to ensure high uptime.

Airtel said the initiative is set to boost IT & telecommunication infrastructure in Bhutan to bring much needed diversity and provide a fillip to communication services in the region. However, it did not disclose the financial details of the deal.

“We are deeply honored to have the opportunity to partner the Royal Government of Bhutan to help build a world class ICT infrastructure in Bhutan," said Manoj Kohli, CEO and Joint MD, Bharti Airtel.

Lyonpo Nandalal Rai, Minister for Information & Communications, Royal Government of Bhutan, said his country has identified Information and Communications Technology as a priority sector for creating an Information Society, providing Government services to citizens and businesses through the deployment of e-Government solutions and further the growth of the IT/ITES industry & Data Centre market in Bhutan.

Bhutan is being positioned as a destination of choice for global organizations to set up back office and data centre operations, considering the talent pool of English speaking graduates and Government support.

Bharti, which also operates mobile services in Sri Lanka, and South Africa's MTN are in exclusive talks aimed at a merger to create the world's third-biggest telecoms firm.