KDDI : World's First Trans-Pacific Telephone Cable Recognized as Historic Achievement

No.2014-194

November 12,2014

The world's first trans-Pacific telephone cable, TPC-1, which was brought into service by KDDI (formerly KDD), AT&T and Hawaiian Telcom in 1964, has been recognized by IEEE Milestones [1,2], a program which honors historic achievements in fields related to electricity, electronics and information [3].

TPC-1, the world's first trans-Pacific cable providing international telephone communication between Japan and the US, was laid between Japan, Guam and Hawaii, a distance of approximately 10,000 km, and brought into service on June 19, 1964. Together with the inauguration of the Tokaido Shinkansen, in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics which were held in October 1964, TPC-1 was a national project culminating in a commemorative phone call between then Prime Minister Ikeda and US President Johnson.

International calls in 1964 were commonly transmitted on short wave with its attendant problems of long connecting time, high level of noise and static, and inability to mutually support simultaneous conversations. Such problems were solved by TPC-1. TPC-1 technology has been recognized by IEEE Milestones as forming the basis of subsequent submarine optic fiber cable construction technology and contributing significantly to the main communications infrastructure technology of today's internet age. IEEE Milestones awards honor inventions that greatly benefit society, such as Alexander Graham Bell's telephone.

This is the third time KDDI has been recognized by IEEE Milestones, following the trans-Pacific reception of a television signal via satellite (Ibaraki Satellite Communication Center) in November 2009 and the international standardization of G3 facsimile in April 2012, the highest number of awards given to any single individual or organization in Japan.

In preparation for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, KDDI is working toward commercialization of 8K video resolution in the broadcasting sector, and enhancement and diversification of communications services through development of fifth-generation mobile communications technology aimed at attaining 10Gbps in the communications sector. We aim to create a high-quality communications infrastructure that will enrich customers' lives.

For more details, see the Attachment.
Attachment：World's First Trans-Pacific Telephone Cable Recognized as Historic Achievement