Bermuda-headquartered Global Crossing Ltd. yesterday announced that it began transmitting voice and data communications through its undersea fibre-optic Atlantic telecommunications connection between the US and the UK.

The connection is the one segment of four that will include Bermuda as a telecommunications hub in the company's global network.

The Atlantic Crossing (AC-1) segment of the network will eventually double the total capacity now in service across the Atlantic Ocean from the US to Europe, Global Crossing stated in a press release. Full city-to-city connectivity will eventually be provided linking major European cities to US cities. The other segments of the network are Pacific Crossing connecting the US and Japan, the Mid-Atlantic Crossing connecting the eastern US, Bermuda, and the Caribbean, and the Pan-American Crossing, connecting the western US, Central America, and the Caribbean.

The Mid-Atlantic crossing is scheduled to being service in late 1999. "When complete, AC-1 and three other planned Global Crossing cable systems will comprise the world's first independent, open-access fibre-optic global telecommunications network, providing seamless data and voice links between Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia,'' the company stated.

Global Crossing has offices in Bermuda, Los Angeles, Morristown, New Jersey San Franscisco, and London. In the last month Global Crossing has advertised in local newspapers for six staff, including a director of contract administration, a director of sales support, a manager of information technology, a creative director and a corporate administrator to manage its Bermuda companies.

The company is in the process of making a public offering of its common shares to raise $300 million.

"This is the most powerful undersea telecommunications system in the world,'' Global Crossing chief executive officer Jack Scanlon said about the AC-1. "It allows us to provide the lowest transmission prices in the industry for US-European traffic.''