First telephone fiber optic cable laid in Northern Iraq

CJTF7 ^ | Jan. 12, 2004

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

CJTF-7 Public Affairs
BAGHDAD, Iraq

Release #040112a

First telephone fiber optic cable laid in Northern Iraq

MOSUL, IRAQ – A ceremony was held in the city of Mosul today in honor of the first fiber optic communications network to be laid in Northern Iraq. With the new 40 kilometers of fiber optic cable connecting Mosul to Dohuk, a city to the north, communications between people will be greatly improved.

“This is a very historic day,” said Lt. Col. Welton Chase, commander, 501st Signal Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). “This is the beginning of a network that will tie into banks, universities and schools. It’s really a wonderful day.”

The fiber optic cable was laid in 24 days by Iraqi engineers and contractors. A feat that usually takes 45 days, said Sulaiman Aljubori, transmission section manager chief engineer of Mosul.

The workers worked hard from sun up to sun down, accomplishing the job even with difficulties that popped up. “The weather was the main problem, the trenches would fill with mud,” Aljubori said.

The fiber optic cable was a portion of 300 km donated by a telephone company in America, Chase said.

With the network foundation laid in different businesses will be able to better communicate and flourish, enticing more businesses to relocate to the Mosul area and increasing jobs, Chase said.

The improved communication will also enhance public service organizations such as, hospitals, schools, and airports will be able to do more as well, he continued.

The 101st helped the project by acting as a liaison between the engineers and the American company that gave the fiber optic cable for free. They also supplied technical and logistic support, Chase said.

“We had a dream and (the soldiers) supported us, got the money and the cable,” Aljubori said. “This project is very important because it is the window to the north.”

“We’re just glad we can help Mosul reach its potential,” Chase said.
The next mission for the Iraqi engineers and coalition forces will be the laying of cable from Mosul to the city of Erbil, to the east.
 

[BigSkyFreeper]

Cool! I like good news like this.

[rabidralph]

Traffic is going to suck, now.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

MOSUL, IRAQ – A ceremony was held in the city of Mosul today in honor of the first fiber optic communications network to be laid in Northern Iraq...40 kilometers of fiber optic cable connecting Mosul to Dohuk, a city to the north..

Lt. Col. Welton Chase, commander, 501st Signal Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). “This is the beginning of a network that will tie into banks, universities and schools. It’s really a wonderful day.”

The fiber optic cable was laid in 24 days by Iraqi engineers and contractors. A feat that usually takes 45 days.."

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101st Airborne Division, Iraq-ization freedom, ping!

More on the 501st Signal Battalion:
8 The mighty, mighty sling load operation itself ~ CJTF7 | 1/10/04 | Spc. Joshua Hutcheson
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If you want on or off my, Calpernia, and xzin's Pro-Coalition ping list, please Freepmail one of us. Warning: it is a high volume ping list on good days. (Most days are good days).

[G L Tirebiter]

The AOL free trial CD's are in the mail as we speak.

[RoseofTexas]

God bless our SOLDIERS! PLEASE FATHER IN HEAVEN keep them safe from harm from the enemy! We beseech thee, AMEN!

[boxerblues]

They'll dump AOL after their free 3 month trial when they realize that AOL censors just as much news as the former regime did

[mathluv]

I received this in an email.
http://www.pianoladynancy.com/recovery_usscole.htm

[lugsoul]

Hmmmm... Does this mean my Lucent stock might finally go back up?

[Dilbert56]

I hope it's buried deep underground and protected by a minefield.

[kenth]

Meanwhile, kenth is still waiting for DSL in rural America... :P

[Frapster]

lol

[4mycountry]

And 4my is joining him...

My internet is so clunky.. j_j

[raynearhood]

HALLE-FRIGGIN'-LUIAH!!!

This means that the USArmy Signal assets will at least be partially replaced soon. A land line network Internet and voice provider will extend and strengthen the network in place.

[antiRepublicrat]

Why didn't they just repurpose all the fiber that China laid for Saddam's C3? :)

[taxcontrol]

[grumble]

There is NOTHING about fiber optic cable that makes it TELEPHONE cable. Fiber optics CAN carry telephone calls, along with data and video and a host of other applications.

/soapbox

[boris]

It's only $87 billion of taxpayer dollars. What a bargain.

[blackie]

101st Airborne Division, Iraq-ization freedom ~ Bump!

[Marie Antoinette]

bump for reference