London-based FLAG Telecomhas signed a landing agreement with Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco) as part of the estimated $300 million-400 million Falcon project, which will link the Gulf and the Far East to FLAG's existing global network. The scheme entails installation of a 15,000-kilometre submarine multi-terabit, optical fibre cable connecting FLAG's Europe-US link to Egypt and then to the Indian network of Reliance Group, which acquired FLAG in January (MEED 20:2:04).
The 25-year right-of use (RoU) agreement with Batelco will allow connectivity with the local network. Bahrain is the second Gulf country to negotiate the landing rights. In late May, an agreement was signed between Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel)and FLAG making Oman the Gulf hub for the project, with the GCC loop and its east and west links interconnecting at dual landing stations in the sultanate. A RoU arrangement has also been agreed with Telecom Egypt. Negotiations are ongoing with Qatar Telecom, Kuwait's Communications Ministry, Telecommunications Company of Iranand the interim Iraqi government. The Falcon link will create a seamless broadband network in the Gulf - currently links consist only of individual country-to-country cables.
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