Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe Ltd, the leading supplier of high performance telecommunications solutions, has announced the successful completion of a major Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) ducting project, preparing an 80km route in Cornwall in record-breaking time. The project, valued in excess of £4 million, involves the ducting required to service the landing point of a new transatlantic cable network, with other landing points in the US, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark. Operated by a consortium of international carriers, the 15,000 km TAT-14 Cable Network is due to go live for commercial services towards the end of 2000.

The contract was awarded to Fujitsu on the basis of a number of criteria, including the company's ability to meet the extremely tight timescales involved - just 13 weeks from start to finish - with the minimum local and environmental disruption. Fujitsu fielded a total of 30 teams, with 5 trenching machines, to complete the 80km 4-way duct route, which included the installation of 80 MRX2 manholes and associated jointing chambers. Running from Widemouth Bay to Mevagissey, the project was co-ordinated by Fujitsu's Network Support Services division from a central management office in Honiton, Devon.

BT's Manager of Network Installation Procurement David Marchant, commented:

"Fujitsu won this contract as part of a competitive tendering exercise involving a number of suppliers. Their bid demonstrated both a clear understanding of the scheme, providing us with confidence in their ability to meet our performance requirements, as well as an attractive commercial offering.

The project is one of the largest undertaken, within what are often difficult geographical conditions to work in. Planning was key and Fujitsu demonstrated a high degree of control throughout the programme, working to the stringent timescales placed upon us, whilst not compromising performance. As with any scheme of this nature, additional requirements arose. Fujitsu was able to cope with these, ensuring the work was engineering complete within the original timescales."

Fujitsu's Network Support Services provides a wide range of turnkey network services, encompassing the complete project management of fibre and copper networks, including planning, design and construction, to the provision and commissioning of customer installations. With locations around the UK, the division comprises a key element of Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe's operation.

Currently employing over 1,100 staff around Europe, Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe is a strategic division of Fujitsu Telecommunications of Japan - currently one of the world's largest communications equipment suppliers. Fujitsu's customer base includes wide-ranging contracts across the breadth of modern telecommunications networks. Focused on providing strategic end to end solutions, Fujitsu offers a complete turnkey service - from project planning, community liaison, cable laying and civil engineering, to the complete installation, implementation and ongoing maintenance.

Headquartered in Birmingham, Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe has extensive research and development facilities and also operates as part of Fujitsu's global manufacturing resource. The company has a long-established track record for product and service innovation, with extensive expertise in the field of leading edge optical transmission and telecommunications switching technology. This ranges from the development of the most advanced Photonic Network Solutions; to Passive Optical Networks; Fibre Access Systems; Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) networks; Advanced Switching Systems; Radio Access Systems and IP Applications; in addition to its TMN-compliant Network Management Systems.

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