The Western technology export committee CoCom, is expected to give the go ahead next month to a $100m to $150m project to modernise the Soviet Union’s telecommunications service – a Cable & Wireless-led consortium is set to link Russia to the international telecommunications network via two undersea fibre optic cables. A spokesman for Cable & Wireless confirmed that the project had the backing of the US and UK governments, which have both blocked previous plans to lay fibre cables overland in the USSR. Last month the export committe, CoCom, said that overland fibre optic lines into Eastern Europe would remain subject to controls because of the perceived security risks – it is difficult to tap in to fibre lines. However CoCom said the Cable & Wireless proposal, which is a joint venture with the US Simplex Wire and Cable Company and the Soviet Ministry of Post & Telecommunications, may be permitted as it does not involve laying fibre inside the Soviet Union. A Cable & Wireless spokesman could not put a timetable to the project, but explained that the fibre lines would be laid between Stock-holm and Leningrad on the west coast of Russia, and Nahodka and Korea in the east. Soviet trunk calls would then pass out of the nearest costal link, across the global telecom network on return via the the other link – this is still quicker than routing calls over the old fashioned, over burdened copper lines which cross the USSR. Cable says the final, inland leg of the journey will be the province of Soviet Ministries, indicating that it currently plans to go to the border only. Satellite or radio microwave links have been suggested by the consortium for the inland leg, but both technologies are currnetly covered by export controls.
