NTT Com unveils new subsea cable ship
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NTT Com unveils new subsea cable ship

NTT Communications has launched a new ship for laying and maintaining subsea cables around Japan and international waters.

The 8,500 tonne ship, called Kizuna, was unveiled at the Kanrei shipyard in Tokushima, Japan, and is is expected to be completed by the end of the fiscal year.

Kizuna measures at 109 metres in length and 20m wide, with a planned average cruising speed of 13 knots. It will hold up to 60 crew. It has been built to withstand wind velocities of up to 14 meters per second, wave heights of up to 3m and ocean currents of up to three knots

The ship will be owned by another division of the NTT Group, NTT Finance, and leased to NTT World Engineering Marine Corporation (NTTWEM), a subdivision of NTT Com.

It will be used by NTT Com, along with three other vessels operated by NTTWEM, to lay and maintain subsea cables. It will also be made available to other telecoms companies and service providers.

Kizuna will contain a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) which can reach a maximum operating depth of 2,500m. This will be used to lay cable and determine points of failure.

NTT Com said the vessel will primarily be used in Japanese waters, while its existing vessel for this area, Subara, will be used more in overseas roles.

The name Kizuna signifies “the connection between people and between people and things” according to NTT Com, and was picked following an internal poll of its employees. The calligraphy that appears on the ship is the Japanese character for Kizuna and is the work of NTT Com president and CEO Tetsuya Shoji.



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