Bharti Airtel to Lease Fiber-Optic Cables Globally

Bharti Airtel says it will allow carriers around the world to lease access to its international fiber-optic cables, which stretch about 200,000 kilometers.

A number of big names have already signed on, including PCCW of Hong Kong and Saudi Telecom. Carriers will use Airtel's network, but keep their own brands for marketing.

Bharti’s network now spans 50 nations. The company has doubled its network capacity in just the past six months and will invest in a pair of new cable systems by the first of the year.

Bharti is India’s top mobile-service provider, with 100 million customers. The company says its wholesale business – driven by companies that want to save money in this economic downturn – will be an integral part of its business plan moving forward.