Furukawa Electric LatAm has been chosen to be a supplier for a significant project with izzi telecom, a telecommunications company of the Mexican Grupo Televisa, that will require the delivery of approximately 8,000 km of optical cable.

A press release said that the project is needed because of the migration from cable TV HFC (Hybrid Fiber Coax) network to FTTH (Fiber to the Home) in its Monterrey plant. The project is expected to last two years and will include optical cables and connectivity accessories, as well as training, design and installation.

“Furukawa was chosen for its cascade, pre-terminated, fusion-free solution,” said Foad Shaikhzadeh, president of Furukawa Electric LatAm and corporate senior vice president of the Furukawa Electric Group. “The greatest advantage of this system is the possibility of gradual investment in the pay-as-you-grow concept, in addition to the faster implementation compared to other technologies,” he said.
The project, which will start in Monterrey, will be the basis for izzi Telecom to define its commercial offer strategy, as well as its network topology the release said. The resulting new network has the potential to reach 1.6 million homes passed. izzi Telecom provides services in more than 60 cities in 29 states of Mexico through a network of more than 30,000 km of fiber optic cables and 77,000 km of coaxial cables.

In other news, Furukawa Electric Corp. has been considering expanding the 6,000-sq-m plant it established in Mexicali. The site, which manufactures fiber optic cables and other components for the telecom sector, opened in December 2017 with 150 employees.

Per a report in El Economista, the Mexicali plant was intended to export most of its production to the U.S., but it sees strong domestic demand. “The Mexican telecommunications market has grown in an interesting way, which is why we are interested in growing both the number of network operators and corporate clients we serve,” said Renato Ohno, manager of Furukawa Electric for Mexico and Central America. “If the expectation is fulfilled, we would not only be producing cables, but we would have a much wider portfolio than what we already have here with another warehouse next to the current one of the same size. It could double what is in Mexicali today regarding of space.”

Per a report in mexico-now.com, Foad Shaikhzadeh, president of Furukawa Electric LatAm and senior corporate vice-president of Furukawa Electric Group, said that “The new Mexicali plant offers both geographic and logistical advantages that support our goal of supplying the American market. In addition, with its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, the location offers excellent exportation capabilities to other continents. The facility also offers ready access to technical laboratories and a qualified workforce.”