Telecom firms plan cross-strait submarine cable

China Telecom and Taiwan-based Chunghwa Telecom plan to build an undersea telecommunications cable linking the mainland port of Xiamen with Kinmen island, currently controlled by Taiwan, AFP reported. The plan was formally announced at a conference in Taipei by Liu Liqing, chairman of the China Association of Communications Enterprises, who said the project could create opportunities for Taiwan-based firms to compete in the mainland’s third generation (3G) market. Lu Shyue-ching, chairman of Chunghwa Telecom, said his company has already applied for permission to construct the 60-kilometer cable. China Telecom Executive Director Leng Rongquan estimated that the project would require a combined investment of up to US$14.66 million. Work on the cable could start next year if the project is approved, said Chunghwa’s Lu.