Enterprise Network Infrastructure: Design, Performance & Security

GNM expands network presence into North America

GNM, a Dutch internet exchange (IX) and backbone operator, has expanded its network into North America with the launch of new points of presence (PoPs) in Miami and Ashburn, Virginia. The company has deployed its first US infrastructure at Equinix MI1 in Miami and Equinix DC1–DC15 and DC21 in Ashburn, creating a dedicated transatlantic platform linking North America with GNM's European backbone network. According to the company, the new sites are configured as a protected East Coast ring and are fully integrated with its existing infrastructure, allowing customers to exchange traffic across a single operational environment. The expansion marks GNM's first infrastructure deployment in the United States and is intended to support organisations seeking connectivity between North American and European markets. New PoPs strengthen transatlantic connectivity The Miami PoP is located within Equinix MI1, a major connectivity hub for subsea cable systems linking North America, Latin America, and Europe. Meanwhile, the Ashburn deployment places GNM within Northern Virginia, one of the world's largest data centre and interconnection markets. Both facilities connect directly to GNM-IX, the company's IX platform, which supports more than 700 connected networks and peak traffic exceeding 10.95Tbps. GNM says the new locations will allow network operators, carriers, cloud providers, and content platforms to access its interconnection and transport services through a single provider, while simplifying traffic exchange between continents. For North American organisations, the expansion provides direct access to European connectivity opportunities without requiring infrastructure deployments in Europe. European operators, meanwhile, gain direct access to two major US interconnection markets. Alex Surkov, Head of Business Development at GNM, says, "Launching in Miami and Ashburn is a defining milestone for GNM. "We have created our first North American platform and directly connected it to our European backbone. This gives customers on both sides of the Atlantic something genuinely valuable: simpler interconnection, direct access to new traffic flows, and the ability to grow internationally through one integrated network ecosystem." GNM now operates more than 90 PoPs globally, with infrastructure spanning Europe, Asia, and North America. For more from GNM, click here.

AFL: Why AI infrastructure planning is changing

In recent years, AI infrastructure discussions centred predominantly on training clusters. Industry attention focused on larger models, sizeable GPU estates, dense scale-out fabrics, and the synchronisation demands created by collective communication across thousands of accelerators. In 2026, however, deployment patterns point to inference as the dominant operational AI workload. This transition introduces infrastructure behaviours that extend beyond the assumptions of traditional training environments. While much of the industry conversation still focuses on accelerators and compute scale, less attention is given to the implications for network architecture, optical connectivity, and physical infrastructure design. In response, AFL, a manufacturer of fibre optic cables and connectivity equipment, has developed a whitepaper series to help address that gap. The first paper, Architecting AI at Scale: From Training Clusters to Inference-Driven Infrastructure, introduces six workload categories representing the evolving AI deployment landscape. These include synchronous training fabrics, throughput inference systems, disaggregated reasoning architectures, heterogeneous decode environments, context-centric infrastructure, and workflow orchestration platforms. The paper provides practical insight into evolving network behaviours, optical requirements, and multi-domain infrastructure planning. Future instalments will examine the engineering implications in greater depth. Click here to register to receive email notifications as soon as each paper in the series becomes available. For more from AFL, click here.

Arista launches 1.6T networking platforms for AI fabrics

Arista Networks, a provider of cloud and AI networking systems, has introduced the 7060XE7 Series, a new portfolio of 1.6T networking platforms designed for rack-scale AI infrastructure. The launch reflects growing demand for networking architectures capable of supporting increasingly large AI deployments, as training and inference environments scale from thousands to hundreds of thousands of accelerators. According to Arista, the new platforms are designed to support both scale-up and scale-out AI fabrics across air-cooled, liquid-cooled, and hybrid environments. The company says the 7060XE7 Series is intended to address the density, power, and thermal requirements associated with large AI clusters, whilst also enabling greater compute density within a given power envelope. Tyson Lamoreaux, Senior Vice President, Cloud and AI Networking at Arista Networks, comments, "The AI era requires a shift in how we think about the network. It is no longer a standalone layer of infrastructure, but a tightly integrated component of the AI supersystem. "With the 7060XE7 Series, we are delivering massive-scale 1.6T systems that combine world-class reliability and the differentiation of EOS with liquid cooling and low-power optics to help our customers build AI fabrics designed for maximum performance and power efficiency." Designed for large-scale AI deployments The 7060XE7 Series includes fixed-switch platforms and configurable rack-scale systems designed to support a range of AI workloads and infrastructure requirements. According to Arista, the systems provide low-latency connectivity and intelligent packet buffering to manage the traffic patterns associated with AI training and inference workloads. The platforms also support a range of EOS features aimed at improving resilience, congestion management, and operational visibility within AI environments. The portfolio comprises three main configurations: • 7060XE7-64PS and 7060XE7-64PRS rack switches, offering 64 1.6T ports in an air-cooled 4RU design• 7060XE7-64PRS-RV3-L, a liquid-cooled 2OU platform designed for high-density AI clusters• 7060XE7-128PE, providing 128 800G ports in an air-cooled 4RU form factor The systems use 224G and 100G SerDes technologies, depending on configuration, and support Linear Pluggable Optics (LPO), which Arista says can reduce interconnect power consumption by around 60%. Industry support for 1.6T ethernet Several major cloud providers have provided statements supporting the development of higher-capacity ethernet infrastructure for AI environments. Gaya Nagarajan, Vice President of Infrastructure at Meta, says, "Arista’s 1.6T platforms and liquid-cooled designs align with our focus on open, scalable AI fabrics that meet the requirements of next-generation training and inference." Rani Borkar, President, Azure Hardware Systems and Infrastructure at Microsoft, notes, "Our collaboration with Arista on the 1.6T ethernet interface helps enable the next generation of AI clusters with greater interconnect capacity for Azure Maia, Microsoft's AI accelerator, and Fairwater, Microsoft's extreme-scale AI data centres, while preserving operational simplicity across our infrastructure." Mahesh Thiagarajan, Executive Vice President, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, adds, "Arista Networks’ 1.6T platforms provide the throughput, determinism, and stability needed for our RDMA-based AI fabrics, while Arista EOS delivers operational consistency and performance at scale across our global AI infrastructure." The 7060XE7 Series is also supported through collaborations with AMD and Broadcom, with the platforms utilising Broadcom's Tomahawk 6 ethernet switching silicon. Arista expects the first systems in the portfolio to become available during Q4 2026, with additional models scheduled for release during Q1 2027. For more from Arista, click here.

Raltron launches compact OCXOs for DC timing

Raltron, a manufacturer of frequency control components, has announced the OX7000 Series of oven-controlled crystal oscillators (OCXOs), developed to provide a timing option for network interface cards (NICs) and other space-constrained data centre hardware. The OX7000 Series is designed to support networking applications requiring stable, low-phase-noise reference clocks while maintaining a compact footprint. The devices are housed in a 9mm x 7mm surface-mount package, making them suitable for use in NIC cards, servers, storage systems, and network switching platforms. The company says the oscillators are intended to help designers address challenges around board space, power consumption, and system cost as networking and data centre infrastructure continues to scale. Designed for networking and data centre hardware The OX7000 Series operates from a single 3.3V supply and consumes between 0.35W and 0.5W during steady-state operation. During warm-up at 25°C, power consumption ranges from 0.8W to 0.9W. According to Raltron, the devices combine OCXO stability with low phase noise in a package aimed at high-volume networking applications. Sasha Wolloch, President of Raltron, says, "Network and data centre designers need timing products that balance performance, size, and cost. With the OX7000 Series, we're providing a compact, lower-cost OCXO that is especially well suited for NIC cards and other high-volume networking platforms." The OX7000 Series has also been qualified for environmental testing, including vibration, mechanical shock, and thermal cycling, which are common requirements for continuously operating infrastructure equipment.

LINX offers 15 months free at NoVA

The London Internet Exchange (LINX), an internet exchange point (IXP) operator, has launched a new initiative offering 15 months of no-charge port access and peering services at its LINX NoVA internet exchange in Ashburn, Virginia, USA. Available from 1 June 2026, the offer applies to both existing members upgrading services and organisations joining LINX for the first time. Participants signing up to an 18-month service term will receive the first 15 months without charge. LINX says the initiative has been introduced to help network operators manage increasing traffic demands and cost pressures while expanding their interconnection capabilities. Established in 2014, LINX NoVA operates within Ashburn's 'Data Center Alley', one of the world's largest internet interconnection markets. The exchange spans five data centre campuses operated by Equinix, Digital Realty, Iron Mountain, CoreSite, and QTS. More than 50 networks are connected to the platform, including content delivery networks, internet service providers, and cloud operators. Jennifer Holmes, CEO of LINX, says, "We recognise that network operators are managing a complex environment right now, from capacity planning to cost control. As a member-owned organisation, our role is to listen carefully to the feedback from our membership and monitor trends in the industry, acting where we can. "This initiative is about supporting our community in a practical way - creating space for networks to plan, grow, and adapt without immediate pressure." Ashburn exchange continues to expand network ecosystem LINX NoVA operates as a carrier-neutral internet exchange and allows participants to establish peering relationships through a single connection across its multi-site infrastructure. The organisation says the new programme is intended to encourage greater traffic localisation, increased peering activity, and further interconnection growth within the region. Jennifer continues, "We want to remind our members why LINX has remained a global leader in interconnection for over 30 years. "The difference is in the engineering discipline, the resilience of the platform, and the depth of operational support we provide. Not all IXPs are built the same - and when networks rely on interconnection for critical traffic paths, there’s very little margin for error. "Packet loss, instability, or downtime can have a direct and immediate impacts on revenue and customer experience. At LINX, we’ve built our reputation on removing that risk, delivering a level of reliability and support that our members can depend on without question." The exchange is supported by a fully redundant architecture, a 24/7 Network Operations Centre, and a distributed platform spanning multiple data centre locations. LINX operates as a member-owned organisation and says revenue is reinvested into the development of its infrastructure and services. For more from LINX, click here.

Digital infrastructure boosts rural development in Guizhou

The province of Guizhou has reached the top ranks in base station numbers and 5G coverage in China. Digital infrastructure like base stations forms a strong economic foundation and stimulates rural development. Under the guidance of national strategies like Digital China and Broadband China, Guizhou continues to enhance communications network construction. Robust 4G, 5G, and 5G-A networks have enabled mountainous villages and ancient towns in Guizhou to overcome geographical and communications barriers. These upgrades have made life more convenient for local residents, stimulated rural economic growth, and enabled local intangible cultural heritage to reach a wider audience, ensuring shared benefits from digitalisation for all. Guizhou is one of China's first national big data pilot regions. To date, China Mobile has built nearly 200,000 base stations in the province, including more than 70,000 5G base stations. Now all of Guizhou's administrative villages and high-speed rail lines are covered by 5G. Special coverage assurance is provided for key urban and rural areas, with gigabit broadband available in all townships. Connecting canyons with 5G-A to stimulate growth Economic and telecom development along the Huajiang Grand Canyon, which looks like a crack in the Earth, have long been constrained by the region's mountainous terrain. Now, the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge has eliminated physical barriers, and the integrated communications networks built by Chinese multinational technology company Huawei and China Mobile provide a digital bridge for these villages. Working in the steep cliffs of the Huajiang Grand Canyon, Huawei and China Mobile innovatively used drones to deploy four 4G sites, four 5G sites, and 39 cells on the bridge and in its surrounding areas to provide 4G, 5G, and 5G–A connectivity for around 11,000 users. Field tests in hotspot areas like the Yundu Service Area have shown average 5G-A download speeds of up to 1500Mbps. Pan Cong, Network Engineer at China Mobile Guizhou, explains, "For Guizhou's complex mountainous terrain, we used drone-assisted lifting and installation to solve the challenge of building networks over cliffs and canyons where traditional construction methods cannot be applied." Improved transport and network infrastructure is stimulating and transforming the development of villages in the region. Residents of Xiaohuajiang Village now use high-speed networks for e-commerce and homestay businesses. In April 2026, the village had a total of 19 homestays, and its homestay revenue and tourist numbers increased three to fourfold year-on-year. Homestay owner Lin Guoquan says, "Now, more tourists can find out about our village through short videos and livestreaming. And many young people who used to work in other places have returned home to seek careers in the village." Digital technology helps conserve and promote the cultural heritage of ancient towns Digital enablement is happening in Guizhou's ancient towns as well. In Tianlong Tunpu Ancient Town, which has a history of more than 600 years, network construction was very difficult in the past due to the town's narrow streets and densely-packed stone buildings. Today, Huawei and China Mobile have used innovative solutions to build nine 4G base stations, eight 5G base stations, and one 5G-A base station to provide seamless network coverage in the town's core areas. With improved connectivity, residents in the town have started selling local products like chili peppers and batik items through livestreaming. This has resulted in a 15% increase in agricultural product sales and a 9% increase in resident income. Dixi Opera, a form of intangible cultural heritage, can now reach a wider audience through livestreaming. Relevant livestreams have already garnered more than 100,000 views. These developments have boosted local cultural tourism. From January to April 2026, the number of visitors to Tianlong Tunpu Ancient Town increased by two to three times year-on-year. Dixi Opera performer Zheng Ruhong comments, "Now, many people across the country know about Dixi Opera from livestreaming. Many young people who used to work in other places have returned home to learn this art. This ensures that this intangible cultural heritage can be preserved and passed down." Working together to promote digital inclusion and bridge the development divide On 29 May, China Mobile and Huawei jointly hosted the TECH Cares Digital and Intelligent Guizhou Roundtable Forum, which brought together representatives from carriers, enterprises, and international organisations. The attendees discussed how digital infrastructure enables rural development, intangible cultural heritage preservation, and sustainable development in the region, and explored new paths for inclusive digital development. Yang Mengmeng from China Mobile Guizhou stated that China Mobile Guizhou set up special teams to overcome the challenges of building networks in mountainous areas to serve local residents in Guizhou. The company has led the construction of a 'gigabit Guizhou', providing 5G coverage to all administrative villages and dual gigabit connections to all townships. Aleksei Savrasov from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) says, "For a remote enterprise, a signal bar is the difference between a local stall and a global market. Where the signal reaches, the economy follows." Huawei's Zhou Jianguo adds, "While physical bridges shorten distances, digital connections bridge digital gaps. Huawei will continue advancing technological innovation and open collaboration to provide remote areas with equal access to the digital world, so that they can share in the dividends of the digital era." By 2025, Huawei had worked with partners to provide digital connectivity for 170 million people in rural and remote areas in more than 80 countries and regions. Moving forwards, Huawei and China Mobile say they will continue to innovate in rural network technologies and provide digital skills training to help more regions bridge geographical and digital divides. This will allow more people to benefit from the digital and intelligent world. For more from Huawei, click here.

euNetworks launches quantum-safe connectivity service

euNetworks, a European bandwidth infrastructure company, has launched a new quantum-safe private connectivity service developed in collaboration with Adtran, a US manufacturer of networking and communications equipment. Called Quantum Shield, the service is designed to provide encrypted data centre connectivity for organisations with high security and compliance requirements across Europe. According to euNetworks, the platform combines dedicated optical infrastructure, real-time fibre monitoring, and quantum-resistant encryption technologies to protect sensitive data in transit. The company says the launch comes as businesses prepare for evolving cybersecurity regulations and post-quantum security requirements, including the EU’s post-quantum cryptography roadmap, DORA, and NIS2. Quantum Shield will be offered as an additional security layer for euNetworks’ Private Connect MOFN service, which provides managed private network infrastructure for enterprise customers. The new platform uses FSP 3000 technology from Adtran, alongside post-quantum cryptography aligned with standards from NIST. According to the companies, all traffic is encrypted automatically at Layer 1 across dedicated fibre infrastructure. Optical monitoring and encryption combined for data protection The deployment also incorporates Adtran’s ALM fibre monitoring technology, which is designed to detect and locate fibre-tapping events in real time. euNetworks says the combined system is intended to provide low-latency, high-throughput connectivity while giving customers greater visibility into how data is secured across the optical layer. Marisa Trisolino, CEO of euNetworks, says, “We’re committed to providing customers with connectivity that meets increasingly stringent security requirements and chose to partner with Adtran because they bring deep expertise in optical networking and a practical understanding of how private infrastructure is built and operated at scale.” Christoph Glingener, CTO of Adtran, adds, “By combining quantum-resilient encryption with real-time fibre monitoring, we’re helping euNetworks safeguard critical traffic without compromising performance or scalability.” The companies say the deployment reflects increasing demand for secure optical networking infrastructure as enterprises prepare for future cybersecurity challenges linked to quantum computing. For more from euNetworks, click here.

Via Licensing Alliance expands Voice Codec programme

US-based patent licensing platform Via Licensing Alliance has announced continued momentum for its Voice Codec patent pool, including the addition of a new unnamed licensee and new licensors, NovaVoice Limited and Cordial IP, further growing the programme’s patent stack and market penetration from its initial five, large global licensors. The addition of the new licensee, unnamed at this time, reflects growing industry adoption of the collaborative licensing pathway Via’s Voice Codec programme creates for accessing IP rights to critical voice technologies. It also reflects a growing market uptake of advanced voice technologies, including EVS and IVAS, driven by rising demand as 5G and 5G-Advanced technologies are adopted worldwide. Additionally, Via says it continues to prioritise transparency and has published its full rate structure for the Voice Codec pool, providing further clarity and predictability for implementers and to the broader market. For implementers, the full rate structure allows for complete visibility as they consider the appropriate royalty structure to choose from to meet their product level costs, evaluate future growth paths for their product lines, or plan their geographical expansion plan needs. This level of disclosure not only reduces uncertainty in licensing decisions but also enables more consistent benchmarking, reinforcing confidence in fair, market-aligned SEP licensing practices. The programme’s royalty rates are listed on Via’s website. Anticipating future growth The addition of the new licensors indicates increased interest from patent holders in licensing their voice technology SEPs through highly efficient, aggregated licensing vehicles such as patent pools. Future growth in both the licensor list and the number of patents consolidated through the pool licence will continue to enhance the value of the Voice Codec licence for implementers. Via’s Voice Codec programme licensors are listed on the website. Via’s Voice Codec pool covers Enhanced Voice Services (EVS), which supports voice communications across more than one billion (and growing) active devices globally, as well as Immersive Voice and Audio Services (IVAS), which will play a central role in next-generation voice and spatial audio applications. Kevin Mack, President of Via Licensing Alliance, says, “We are pleased to welcome these new entrants to our pool, which signals continued growth and momentum our Voice Codec programme. "This pool licence offers strong value relative to other market options and represents the only collaborative licensing solution for EVS and IVAS technologies, making it a smart and efficient pathway for companies seeking to licence critical voice capabilities." EVS remains a foundational technology for high-quality voice communications in 5G and 5G-Advanced networks, with adoption continuing to expand as 5G, 5G-Advanced, and future network iterations reach global scale. As spatial audio and advanced voice technologies expand into 6G and a broader range of non-cellular devices, the importance of IVAS technologies is expected to increase, with Via’s pool offering an early and effective licensing pathway. For more information about the Voice Codec patent pool, including information for prospective licensees, you can click here to visit the website.

Eastern Light expands Nordic fibre capacity

Eastern Light, a Stockholm-based independent operator building and owning long-haul dark fibre submarine cable routes, has started construction of the Nordic Corridor, a new subsea fibre cable system connecting Sweden and Finland. The project includes the SF-II subsea connection and represents an investment of approximately €30 million (£26 million). Combined with the company’s existing SF-I cable system, the Nordic Corridor is intended to increase digital communications capacity between the two countries. Eastern Light currently operates the SF-I subsea cable between Sweden and Finland, which contains 144 fibres. The new SF-II system will add a further 288 fibres through a combination of terrestrial and subsea infrastructure. According to the company, the expanded system is designed to meet increasing demand for digital capacity across the Nordic and Baltic regions, particularly as data centre development accelerates. Mikael Vesterlund, COO of Eastern Light, says, “We are seeing rapidly growing demand for digital capacity in the Baltic Sea region, driven primarily by investments in data centres across the Nordics. "Several of the existing cable systems are old and are beginning to reach full utilisation. That is why we need to expand digital capacity between the countries. The Nordic Corridor is an important step in meeting this development.” New cable route designed around resilience Eastern Light says the SF-II deployment will take place in several phases. The first stage, extending to Finnish territorial waters near the Åland archipelago, was completed in May. The company states that the cable route has been designed to remain within national waters, reducing risks associated with international routes and simplifying future repair work if required. Eastern Light also says the Nordic Corridor is owned and financed by Nordic stakeholders. Mikael continues, “The Nordic Corridor is a project of critical importance to society. In the event of security incidents, data must be able to take alternative routes. "That is why we are now strengthening the robustness of the system by building a new fibre connection between Sweden and Finland. More cables are needed.” The SF-II project will span approximately 480km and has an estimated operational lifespan of around 50 years. The subsea cable itself will weigh approximately 566 metric tonnes.

'External threats a rising cause of outages for data centres'

External infrastructure failures and outages linked to fibre and connectivity issues are becoming more prominent for data centres, according to new research from the Uptime Institute, a US-based independent data centre standards and certification body. Despite that, on-site outages for data centres have declined for the fifth consecutive year, with approximately one in 10 noting that their last outages had a serious or severe impact. The cost of major outages continued to rise, with 57% stating that their most recent major outage cost over $100,000 (£74,800) and one in five reporting a cost of over $1 million (£748,000). Richard Petrie, CTO of the London Internet Exchange (LINX), comments, “Networking and connectivity continue to sit at the top of the most common causes of IT outages, reinforcing the importance of resilience in this area. "As organisations face growing pressure from network congestion, external threats, and increasing reliance on third-party providers, resilience across both network and data centre infrastructure is becoming critical. "While it’s encouraging to see on-site outages declining as infrastructure providers continue to prioritise resilience, the risks posed by external failures mean organisations still need robust redundancy policies in place for when outages do occur. "The backbone of a strong redundancy strategy is a secondary fabric that allows data to be rerouted during periods of disruption or risk, helping organisations remain operational even when the primary network is compromised. "By providing multiple options to route traffic, organisations can strengthen resilience and help networks stay online.” Power failures a contributing a factor The leading cause of impactful outages was power, with failures involving UPS systems, transfer switches, and generators remaining prominent. Worsening grid constraints and high-density workloads were also found to contribute to outages as a newer challenge. To adapt, the research outlined that operators are adapting investment strategies towards automation and control systems in order to manage complexity, despite acknowledging that more automation can cause different classes of problems. In line with the causes of outages, resilience assessments were found to focus more on internal systems than on external and systemic risks. Andy Lawrence, founding member and Executive Director of Uptime Intelligence, says, “Outages overall have slowed down and, overall, digital infrastructure is remarkably resilient. But further resiliency gains are becoming harder to achieve. “We believe that over time, failures will increasingly not be the result of a single point of failure, but instead be linked to complex interactions between systems, including software, networks, and external dependencies. "While site-based electrical and mechanical infrastructure remain a critical building block that needs to be resilient, digital infrastructure is becoming more distributed with outages originating outside the data centre, including those tied to power availability, network connectivity, or the reliance on external cloud services playing a larger role.”