Spark and China Telecom Global sign deal

Thursday, 25 February 2016, 11:18 am
Press Release: Spark

Spark and China Telecom Global sign deal to improve interconnectivity

Spark’s Wholesale and International division announced today that it has signed an interconnectivity deal with China Telecom Global. The deal will see the two companies partnering to carry all their respective internet traffic between China and New Zealand and throughout the Pacific region, and provides Spark with a leading position in Chinese transit services.

The deal improves Spark’s connectivity into China, giving Spark customers more reliable and faster access to Chinese content. The improvements will lower latency times between the two countries, reducing load times for web content and improving shared application performance – particularly important for businesses running remote applications.

Lindsay Cowley, Spark’s GM Wholesale and International is looking forward to the benefits the agreement will bring to China, New Zealand, and across the Pacific.

“China Telecom Global has the technology, resources, and commitment to the development of its global operations and capabilities to establish a leading position in the international telecommunication market. Combined with Spark’s world-class domestic network and leadership in Pacific connectivity, this collaboration will provide the largest and most direct data transit services, not just between China and New Zealand, but throughout the Pacific too,” says Cowley .

China Telecom Global provides leading access into the Chinese internet market, hosting more than 2.3 million websites, owning more than 70 percent of Chinese internet resources, and managing more than two thirds of all Chinese domain names. The China Telecom Global network has over 63 Points of Presence around the world, more than 300 backbone nodes in China providing 4,000 Gbps of bandwidth, and a global network across 72 countries with over 33 submarine cables.

China Telecom Global VP of Carrier Business Development, Steven Tan, has welcomed the agreement, noting significant improvements in access to content in both directions.

“This is the first agreement of its kind for us in Oceania, and it gives us the ability to deliver Chinese content directly to New Zealand and into the Pacific from our Point of Presence in Hong Kong. This will greatly improve accessibility for both China Telecom and Spark customers,” says Tan.

Spark’s 50% ownership in the Southern Cross Cable and being a partner in the forthcoming Tasman Global Access cable provides future-proofed and robust connectivity all over the world, as well as strengthened links into growing Asian markets. Throughout the Pacific, Spark’s extensive satellite network provides full service Teleport and IP data services.

“China is New Zealand’s second-largest trading partner and has over 600 million internet users, so it’s more important than ever for New Zealand businesses to have high quality access into the Chinese internet market, not just for their own success, but for the wider New Zealand economy.

“We’re confident this deal gives Spark the largest and most direct Chinese data transit services to help give New Zealand a leg-up into the amazing opportunities China provides,” Cowley said.

ENDS

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