Section of Beijing-Guangzhou Optical Line Starts ConstructionConstruction of China's longitudinal artery optical fiber line linking Beijing to Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, is gathering pace, as the longest section in the first phase of the project kicked off Wednesday in central China's Hunan Province.The networking system which extends through six provinces is expected to cost some 937 million yuan. Its construction undergoes two phases. The first phase was scheduled to be finished by in the first half of this year, when 2,911-km optical fiber line is laid. The optical network built with the world's most advanced silicon-core technology can accommodate some 100 million people on line simultaneously, or enable millions of net surfers to browse on-line movie channels. The Hunan section will be about 717 kilometers. So far, some 280 million yuan of investment has been put in place. Hunan Telecom will help finance another 85 million yuan to ensure the section completed and ready for testing by June 15. The optical system will constitute the framework of the country's information highway construction in the Tenth Five-Year Plan Period (2001-2005). |
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