Hutchison Global Crossing (HGC) today (19 February 2001) announced that the company's terrestrial network is now connected to East Asia Crossing. HGC can now provide end-to-end broadband and telecommunications solutions with immediate effect. Owned by Asia Global Crossing, the parent company of HGC, East Asia Crossing is a 19,500-km submarine system that will connect Hong Kong to Japan and other the fast-growing telecommunications markets of Asia It also connects to Pacific Crossing 1, which links up North America and the rest of the world via the Global Crossing Network.

With East Asia Crossing, HGC will provide a world-class service to both the local and the international markets, and develop quickly into a major global telecommunications hub. Using advanced dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) technology and a self-healing ring system that provides near-instant service resumption in the unlikely event of failure, the East Asia Crossing guarantees best transmission quality as well as an extremely stable and robust network system.

With an initial capacity of 80 Gbps, upgradeable to 2.56Tbps, East Asia Crossing will significantly broaden the bandwidth capacity of HGC's terrestrial network that offers high-speed broadband access, data transmission, ISP and ICP, data center as well as integrated business solutions.

Connected to East Asia Crossing, HGC will join hands with AGC to provide a worldwide wholly-owned self-build network to help fulfill the bandwidth demand of Asia Pacific as well as the international market. Providing a high quality restoration and maintenance capability, East Asia Crossing offers a first-class alternative in the event of any cable outage, thereby ensuring a stable and reliable global telecommunications service.

Following the connection to China Telecom's SDH network last October, the HGC network is linked to the major cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Dongguan and Shenzhen. Leveraging East Asia Crossing's world-wide connectivity, linking Hong Kong directly to the Asia Pacific, North America and the rest of the world, Hutchison Global Crossing will continue to bring world-class technologies and services to a wider range of customers in Hong Kong.

For media enquiry:
Hutchison Global Crossing
Sally Tsang
Tel: 2128 6708
Fax: 2187 2055
Email: sallyt@hgc.com.hk