Qatar's telecom operator, Qtel, has announced the successful landing of the Tata Global Network (TGN) Gulf high-capacity submarine fibre optic cable in Sumaismah, north of Doha.

When the new link is fully functional by the end of the year, it will instantaneously route traffic from Qtel customers to Mumbai and onward to the rest of the world, via the Tata Global Network, it has announced. The new cable was connected to the Qtel national network by the world-renowned TE SubCom, an industry pioneer in undersea communications technology.

Qtel's international connectivity strategy aims to construct a resilient cable network to enable a comprehensive broadband ICT-based society in Qatar. The successful landing of the TGN-Gulf cable will help ensure that Qtel can manage the ever-growing demand for voice and data services in Qatar.

Qtel CEO Dr Nasser Marafih said: "This is another important milestone in the evolution of our global network of international connections. "By working with global partners such as Tata Communications, we are ensuring that resilience and diversity are built into our long-term plan for growth, which will in turn support the wider economic and social development of Qatar. "This new connection will be supported by the superior technology of Qtel's purpose-built landing station."

Other TGN-Gulf project landing parties include Nawras, which is part of the Qtel Group, Bahrain Internet Exchange (Bahrain), Mobily (Saudi Arabia) and Etisalat (UAE).

Tata Communications Managing Director for Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Radwan Moussalli said: "This new cable connection will bring Qatar an important global, high-speed route for data and voice communication, adding even more capability and resilience to the Qatar network infrastructure." "The increased capacity will enable the expansion of broadband penetration and the growth of enterprise services throughout Qatar," he added.

Qtel's international connectivity strategy has seen the company develop a world-class network throughout Qatar, supported by connections with global networks to help improve connectivity and provide the foundations for next generation communication technology.

Tata Communications will work with Qtel and other partners in the network to extend the capacity and capabilities of the global cable project. As part of the strategic relationship, infrastructure will be secured to support increased accessibility to advanced telecommunications services within Qatar, including Global Ethernet, MPLS-based VPN, Managed Security, IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) and Global Telepresence.

Qtel has taken the lead in providing these services to customers across the country and continues to invest in strategic partnerships that fully support the wider vision for growth of the knowledge-based economy.