Published by: World Tibet Network News, Wednesday September 4 1996

BEIJING (Aug. 31) XINHUA - Tibet Autonomous Region is to build two optic cables between Lhasa and Ningchi, and Xigaze and Yadong, according to Science and Technology Daily.

The cable projects will use the optic telecom facilities of NEC, a leading Japanese telecom company. A cooperation contract has been signed by the company and Tibet Posts and Telecommunications Bureau in Beijing.

The two cables will open to public service by the end of next year, according to Zeng Zhongyi, director of the bureau.

The NEC optic equipment has been used in the autonomous region's first two cables, which were launched in 1995 to connect Lhasa's telecom systems to that of Xigaze and Shannan.

Zeng said that the cooperation with NEC will be further enhanced as the region increases input in telecommunications in its eastern part, an economically underdeveloped area without any optic telecom infrastructure.