Warrior event was still in everyone’s memory. It is for these reasons among others that STC (UK) rejected the Alcatel‘s suggestion to come with a joint bid, to offer a “European” solution. One of the winning factors has been the Port-Botany cable factory. Such a factory was a strong requirement from OTC (now Telstra) and the Australian Government. Alcatel was the most motivated. Such a factory could expand its influence in the Pacific where the three other players were historically well established in this region, which represents a large part of their market. They saw this factory as a risk for their existing facilities! These carriers, as FT, investing “I know the culture of the incumbent SubOptic ‘87 insuch Versailles cameare at the right time. taking significant shares in the the carriers,” I said. “Network is their obsession, in ItAfrica, is where the Australian teams discovered incumbent operators. They want to bring and can’t see them becoming just capacity andI l’Astrolabe, landed in 1788 to discover that French model, a close cooperation between traffic buyers. fromaround you marginally, CaptainThey Cookmay wasbuy already bearing the “their” Alcatel and on FT,“their” exactlynetwork. what they wanted to esThere is a French saying: My glass is small but they will continue to invest and build their British flag. So Botany Bay is now for me the tablish in their country. my glass. Lessons have clearly not own networks. My which other doubt comes from but it isMy symbol of a dream becomes a reality! friend, things are changed since, but been learned. I can predict that, a few years WDM Tasman technology; I perceive it as a killing 2 has been yet another chapter one thing stays true: When you offer something, factor for your strategy. This technology will from now, despite a growing need, some cable in this long Anglo-French competition! The the reader can see between the lines if you are create a surplus of capacity, which will kill systems will be for sale cheap,around Africa, award to Alcatel came out as a big surprise to or much not genuinely very like PC1.motivated and sincere. Then your prices, and your profitability.” many, including inside Alcatel. Everybody was your offer becomes really attractive and this Gary disregarded my remarks, walking naturally expecting the British to win that batopens the route to “Botany Bay.” away with the idea that I was a man of the past. tle,I know, and such an expectation wastoday at that time my dear friend, that even some very logical. See you soon. people, including some of my closest business There were so many difficulties and friends (especially in the US), do not see things Jean Devos is a senior consultant misunderstanding between embarking Australia in and that way. Some are currently with Submarcom similar inone Africa Onthe both sidespresence of the France,ventures the main being French Submarcom ConsultingConsulting. He is also one of the founders and a African continent, West, onethe can see in the Pacific area,East the and worse being nuclear board member of Axiom, a Paris two types of systemsin being builtThe andsad promoted bomb experiment Tahiti! Rainbow based company specialized in
Letter to a friend from Jean Devos
My dear friend You probably read the announcement about NTT buying Pacific Crossing (PC1) for an amount of 105 million dollars. Ten years ago, the construction cost of PC1 was well above 1 billion US dollars. The system was constructed “Botany Bay”Crossing after the commercial by Global success of Atlantic-Crossing (AC1). The plan I published recently a modest novel, whose title was to install a truly global network from is Botany Bay. It is the place in Australia where which all the carriers would be pleased to buy capacity if and when they Alcatel needed, established avoiding thea submarine cableThe facrisks and burdens of investing in advance. as part highly-voiced vision got atory lot in of 1989 attention andof contract for the seemed irresistible at theits time, but in reality, link. this this model failed heavily.Tasman This 2was forIntwo same bay, where two reasons: (1) the carriers never accepted the concept; and (2) the private investors did not centuries before the pay sufficient attention to French the technology. expedition When I joined Tyco “La in 1997, I had theof Pérouse” made opportunity to meet and Gary twochat ships,with La Boussole Winnick, the bright initiator of the concept, during a party in New York. He had my name on his list and tried to convince me to join his team. “Thanks Gary,” I said, “but I have some doubts.” “What do you mean?” he asked.
My Dear Friend
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My glass is small...
Jean Devos
Jean Devos
in parallel and in competition: the “private cables” and the “carrier’s cables”. Where there was not enough capacity recently we will see very soon too much capacity and the “private cables” in deep trouble! Their customers, the carriers, are building their own high-bandwidth, dense WDM cable.
Submarine systems projects study & management. He spent three years developing Tyco’s international capability, and was the head of ASN (Alcatel Submarine Networks). Jean was born in 1938 and is graduated from the Lille University. He is the founder of SubOptic and carries a vast international experience in our field.
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