HKT (SEHK:6823) – HONG KONG, December 14, 2017 – PCCW Global, the international operating division of HKT, Hong Kong’s premier telecommunications service provider, today successfully connected Hong Kong (Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department) and Thailand (AEROTHAI) air navigation service providers (ANSPs) via the Asia Pacific Common Regional Virtual Private Network (CRV). The CRV is specifically provisioned by PCCW Global as a robust and secure regional aviation network for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations specialized agency established to manage the administration and governance of international aviation.
The successful technical trial linking the first city-pair in the Asia Pacific region to the CRV paves the way for the Hong Kong and Bangkok ANSPs to exchange high volumes of aeronautical information over a highly secure and robust dedicated aviation network.
Regional ANSPs have historically not been in a position to share a common network, which resulted in tangled networks belonging to multiple service providers, which in turn led to network management challenges concerning technology upgrades, security, and operations, etc.
With airline passenger growth of over 150% in the past two decades, the air transportation industry now carries up to 3.6 billion passengers to more than 3,700 airports annually. This year, airlines are expected to operate more than 38 million flights, and this number is expected to double over the next 10 to 15 years.
This dramatic increase in the volume of air traffic has highlighted the need for a more robust and secure aviation network. As a result, in 2013, the ICAO took the decision to engage with a single telecommunications operator to provide private network services for the exchange of aeronautical information between the various ANSPs. PCCW Global won the Asia Pacific tender for this provision of the regional CRV.
Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department, a pioneer ANSP actively steering the ICAO CRV project, and AEROTHAI have carried out successful trial between the two regions and that the CRV is therefore considered to be ready for operational use by Asia Pacific ANSPs.
Mr. Frederick Chui, Senior Vice President of Global Data Sales, PCCW Global, said, “Cyber security is at the heart of the CRV. The success of the trial demonstrates our proven network services which is critical for the growth of aviation industry. PCCW Global CRV is providing secure closed-user network capability between ANSPs. The CRV also provides for various contingency routing scenarios across PCCW Global’s extensive network, ensuring that the service will always be up and running securely.”
Other added benefits of having the CRV includes supporting various functions of ICAO’s Aviation System Block Upgrades (ASBUs), better voice quality, and enhancing the aeronautical information exchange between Asia Pacific and other regions. The CRV service also provides users with performance tracking capabilities and proactive monitoring to ensure network health.
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Mr. Frederick Chui, Senior Vice President of Global Data Sales, PCCW Global (right), Mr. Li Peng, ICAO Regional Officer (left), Ms. Sarinee Angsusingha, President of AEROTHAI, and Mr. Simon Li, Director-General of Civil Aviation, celebrate the successful trial of connecting Hong Kong and Thailand air navigation service providers via the CRV.
About PCCW Global
PCCW Global is the international operating division of HKT, Hong Kong’s premier telecommunications service provider, which is majority-owned by PCCW Limited. Covering more than 3,000 cities and 150 countries, the PCCW Global network supports a portfolio of integrated global communications solutions which include Ethernet, IP, fiber and satellite transmission solutions, international voice and VoIPX services, managed network & security services and our expanding “as-a-service” solutions including OTT video and Unified Communications.
PCCW Global is headquartered in Hong Kong, and maintains regional centers in Belgium, China, France, Greece, Japan, Korea, Singapore, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. To learn more about PCCW Global, please visit www.pccwglobal.com.
About HKT
HKT (SEHK: 6823) is Hong Kong’s premier telecommunications service provider and leading operator in fixed-line, broadband and mobile communication services. It meets the needs of the Hong Kong public and local and international businesses with a wide range of services including local telephony, local data and broadband, international telecommunications, mobile, and other telecommunications businesses such as customer premises equipment sales, outsourcing, consulting, and contact centers.
HKT offers a unique quadruple-play experience in Hong Kong delivering media content on its fixed-line, broadband Internet access and mobile platforms jointly with its parent company, PCCW Limited.
HKT also provides a range of innovative and smart living services beyond connectivity to make the daily lives of customers more convenient, whether they are at home, in the workplace, or on the go. For more information, please visit www.hkt.com.
For further information, please contact:
Ivan Ho
PCCW Group
Tel: +852 2883 8747
Email: ivan.wy.ho@pccw.com
Issued by HKT Limited.