TGT - Ushering in a New Digital Age In connectivity

A 1998 TGT innovation, GIG allows the company to place optical fibres within gas pipes providing up to 100Gbps point-to-point fibre links and dedicated bandwidth services.

Backed by the more-than-150-year history of its parent, The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited (HKCG), Towngas Telecommunications Company Limited (TGT) has since its foundation in 2004 been dedicated to one mission – keeping its clients and customers connected. Whilst this commitment may not have changed over the company’s rapid growth, the ways which TGT delivers on its promise most certainly have.

Through the benefits of its parents’ unparalleled gas pipe network in Hong Kong, and an every-growing number of partnerships with companies in Mainland China, TGT is at the vanguard of delivering telecommunications infrastructure and network solutions for telecom carriers, service providers and large corporations through its pioneering Glass-in-Gas (GIG) and Glass-along-Gas (GAG) technologies.

A 1998 TGT innovation, GIG allows the company to place optical fibres within gas pipes, complemented by using optical fibre cable within small, underground casings to ensure the company maintains its pledge to provide reliable, sustainable services. This is the cornerstone of its Hong Kong connectivity offering, providing up to 100Gbps point-to-point fibre links and dedicated bandwidth services such as T3/DS3, STM-1, STM-64, GE and 10GE, as well as bespoke, reliable private, public and hybrid cloud computing platforms to corporations, international network service providers and professional clients.

GAG technology, meanwhile, allows TGT’s family of Mainland China partners to install telecommunications infrastructure at the same time as gas pipes, reducing installation time and environmental impact. Its joint venture companies across different provinces also provide carrier-neutral data centre and related engineering, consulting and R&D services.

High-quality network services
“In provinces like Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shandong, Liaoning and other places where telecommunications pipe networks have been laid, high-quality network services can be built on top of these pipe networks,” says Mr. Joseph Lai, Head of Telecommunications Business of HKCG cum General Manager of TGT. At the same time as developing its pipe network business, TGT is also utilizing its heritage to work alongside Mainland China gas suppliers on the application of GIG, not least cabling services in residential and commercial buildings.

Ten years ago, TGT embarked on its expansion into Mainland China, and today, with the growth of big data, the rewards of its journey both there and in Hong Kong are starting to bear fruit. “There is now high demand for data processing, and it’s here that TGT’s data centres have shown their value amid immense market demand,” explains Lai. “We now operate seven large scale networked data centres in Hong Kong and Mainland China which can accommodate up to 15,000 server racks,” he added.

Moving into the cloud
Connectivity with the cloud has been another milestone on TGT’s journey. In one of its most recent developments, the company established a one-stop, cloud computing solution – GOEZ! – which provides SMEs with a low upfront cost, streamlined service combining high-speed internet and a variety of business services. With connectivity increasingly one of the essentials in businesses like Hong Kong’s famed catering sector, TGT aims for GOEZ! to become synonymous with the Chinese phrase “seven necessities to begin the day.”

Companies are now seeking to increase productivity, efficiencies and costs by moving many of their operations and services to the cloud. Even the largest, best resourced firms have bought into the ‘start-up’ culture, with some moving their staff into collaborative workspaces to foster innovation. But this cannot be successfully achieved without the right connectivity in place, which is why TGT persistently strives to give its customers the full benefit of its unrivalled network infrastructure, and historical development, into full play.

“Flexibility, reliability and secure network connectivity is important regardless of the type of cloud an enterprise may choose,” says Lai.“ By partnering with a network provider, like TGT that has designed its network to satisfy a broad range of cloud-connectivity options, every enterprise can obtain a solution tailored to its unique operational and financial requirements and, thereby, achieve its cloud computing objectives.”

Technology, like time, never stands still, and TGT is already looking beyond its current service offering to the ‘next horizon’. It firmly believes big data will get even bigger, with increasing demand for data processing and information technology solutions. With its growing presence in the telecommunications market, TGT is well position to capitalise on this upcoming era which will be characterised by massive data transfer which unlocks new value for its clients and TGT alike.“TGT will continue to strive to provide diversified services that exceed customer expectations by leveraging our own technology advantages and further help customers as they embark on their digital transformations,”he said.