Infrastructure & Hardware

Spirent and Juniper Networks collaborate for first public UET test

Spirent Communications, a provider of test and assurance solutions for next-generation devices and networks, and Juniper Networks, a multinational corporation developing and marketing networking products, have successfully completed the first live public demonstration of Ultra Ethernet Transport (UET), marking a milestone for the evolving Ultra Ethernet Consortium (UEC) ecosystem. The demonstration took place at Interop25 Tokyo, where Spirent, Juniper, and Spirent’s long-standing partner in Japan, TOYO Corporation, jointly generated and forwarded UET traffic in a live network environment, utilising the Spirent B3 800G Appliance and the Juniper QFX 5240-64OD Switch. The test topology also included RoCEv2 traffic, demonstrating coexistence and interoperability, and earned the companies an Interop ShowNet Special Prize. The Juniper switch with 800G interfaces successfully recognised and forwarded all traffic types, validating its readiness for UET-based deployments. As hyperscalers continue to prioritise open, interoperable solutions for AI/ML back-end networks, Spirent believes the significance of the UEC initiative and its approach to delivering AI and HPC performance is becoming ever more apparent. With the consortium approaching its first official specification release, Spirent and Juniper argue that they are playing a pivotal role in driving progress through real-world validation, helping to strengthen and refine the evolving ecosystem. “We are honoured to have been recognised alongside Spirent with this prestigious award at Interop Tokyo,” says Praful Lalchandani, VP of Products, Data Center Platforms and AI Solutions, Juniper Networks. “This award underscores the strength of our partnership and the innovation we’re driving together in high-performance, AI-driven data centre networking. Juniper’s data centre solution, a cornerstone of Juniper’s AI-Native Networking Platform, continues to lead with operational simplicity, performance, and open architecture. “Validating performance and interoperability with emerging transport standards like UET is essential for ensuring next-generation infrastructure can meet the evolving demands of AI-driven networking.” “Dramatic growth in AI applications and workloads continues to create challenges for the industry, and this public demonstration illustrates our dedication to helping industry partners to meet these challenges,” comments Masatoshi Nishihara, General Manager, Spirent Japan. “Spirent is committed to supporting emerging standards. By facilitating early adoption and validation of standards with comprehensive testing solutions, Spirent empowers organisations to confidently prepare for the transition to next-generation networking while maintaining performance and reliability in increasingly demanding environments.” For more from Spirent, click here.

Microchip enhances digital signal controller lineup

Evolving security and functional safety demands, coupled with the growing complexity of real-time embedded applications, are driving designers to seek innovative solutions that deliver greater accuracy, improved reliability, and compliance with industry standards. To address these challenges, Microchip Technology, an American semiconductor manufacturer, has added the dsPIC33AK512MPS512 and dsPIC33AK512MC510 digital signal controller (DSC) families to its dsPIC33A DSC product line. The devices enable the implementation of computation-intensive control algorithms for improved energy efficiency in motor control, AI server power supplies, energy storage systems, and complex sensor signal processing with Machine Learning (ML)-based inferencing. “As AI servers and data centres continue to grow, the need for more efficient power conversion is essential. With specialised peripherals and the high-performance core in the dsPIC33AK512MPS family, developers can now achieve significant energy savings and shrink their power supply footprints,” says Joe Thomsen, Corporate Vice President of Microchip’s digital signal controller business unit. “The new dsPIC33A DSC families are packed with advanced features that enable efficient and reliable designs for modern power conversion, motor control, and sensing applications.” The dsPIC33AK512MPS family delivers precise, high-speed control through industry-leading 78ps high-resolution pulse width modulations (PWMs) and low-latency 40Msps ADCs, enabling fast and accurate control loops essential for optimising the performance of silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN)-based DC-DC converters. Additionally, dsPIC33AK512MPS devices include advanced security features, an integrated touch controller, and a high pin count of up to 128 pins. The dsPIC33AK512MC family is designed to offer low-latency, 40Msps ADCs and 1.25ns PWM resolution, providing a feature- and cost-optimised solution for multi-motor control and complex embedded applications. The dsPIC33A DSC families, with up to 512KB Flash and a rich peripheral set, integrate a double precision floating-point unit to accelerate mathematical computations and leverage a 32-bit architecture for seamless adoption of model-based design code. Their enhanced instruction set and digital signal processing (DSP) capabilities, including single-cycle MAC operations and a 200 MHz core speed, make these devices highly efficient for low-latency, real-time control applications. Supported by MPLAB Machine Learning Development Suite, dsPIC33A devices streamline the ML workflow by automating data preparation, feature extraction, training, validation, and firmware conversion of optimised models. “dsPIC33A DSCs from Microchip provide high performance and reliability for complex automotive electronic control units (ECUs),” claims Norbert Weiss, Managing Director at Lauterbach. “Combined with the support of our latest TRACE32 solutions, we help dsPIC33A DSC customers accelerate their time-to-market using our leading debug and trace tools from the start of the development process.” With a range of hardware safety features, dsPIC33AK512MPS/MC DSCs are compliant with functional safety standards and are developed in accordance with International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 26262 and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61508 processes, making them suitable for safety-critical automotive and industrial applications. To further enhance system-level security, the dsPIC33AK512MPS DSC family includes integrated crypto accelerators and a Flash security module, enabling immutable root of trust, secure boot, secure firmware upgrades, and secure debug capabilities. “The combination of dsPIC33A DSCs and our pre-certified, safety-critical, real-time operating system SAFERTOS, simplifies the development of safety-critical applications," adds Andrew Longhurst, Managing Director of WITTENSTEIN High Integrity Systems (WHIS). “This system-level solution empowers our clients to deliver reliable and efficient solutions that meet automotive and industrial safety standards.” For more from Microchip, click here.

3000km of DWDM deployed in 72 hours in Eastern Europe

GNM, a backbone ISP operating its own, international peer-to-peer distributed Internet Exchange Network, GNM-IX, based on an 18,000+ kilometre Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) network, has completed the deployment of nearly 3000km of long-haul DWDM infrastructure across Romania, Bulgaria, and Serbia, with installation and commissioning finalised in just 72 hours. The project was delivered entirely by GNM’s in-house engineering team, without the involvement of external contractors. All stages - from planning and logistics to setup and final network configuration - were handled internally, aiming to ensure full control, integration with existing infrastructure, and adherence to tight deployment timelines. "This kind of delivery isn’t a special case for us," says Alex Surkov, Head of Development at GNM. "We’ve built our processes to operate at this pace - with full internal coordination, no outsourcing, and flexible routing options already in place. That’s what allows us to move quickly and deliver stable, production-ready transport in days, not weeks." The new segment, according to the company, strengthens GNM’s DWDM footprint, which spans Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and connects to key interconnection hubs including Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Helsinki, and Singapore. It says services are designed to meet the needs of carriers, content providers, and data centre operators, with a focus on scalability, redundancy, and delivery speed.

L2Tek launches Gigalight silicon photonics transceivers

L2Tek, a technical distributor of components for broadcast, professional video, and high-speed data networks, has announced the immediate availability of Gigalight’s silicon photonics (SiPh) transceiver portfolio for customers across the UK and Europe. The new offering includes 100G, 400G, and 800G QSFP modules engineered to meet the bandwidth and density requirements of AI workloads in hyperscale data centres and edge computing. Silicon photonics technology enables the integration of optical and electronic components on a single chip, offering a compact footprint, reduced power consumption, and support for high data rates. Gigalight’s SiPh-based transceivers are designed for short-to-medium reach applications and leverage PAM4 modulation. “Gigalight’s silicon photonics portfolio now available exclusively through L2Tek to UK and European customers, delivers the bandwidth, density, and energy efficiency needed for AI data centres. These transceivers use advanced modulation and chip-level integration to meet the demands of modern interconnects while offering a compelling alternative to traditional solutions,” claims Mark Scott-South, Director, L2Tek. The 100G DR1 transceiver, available in QSFP28 format, supports up to 500 metres over a single 1310nm wavelength. The 400G DR4 model, housed in a QSFP-DD form factor, delivers four 100G lanes over a 500-metre link, making it suitable for high-density leaf-spine and AI cluster deployments. New to the lineup is Gigalight’s 800G DR8 transceiver, based on a new silicon photonics platform and available in OSFP format. It supports eight lanes of 100G PAM4 and is engineered, the company says, for performance across a range of data centre conditions. The transceiver is compliant with IEEE 802.3 standards and would be suited to high-performance computing, cloud infrastructure, and data centre interconnects. Compared to traditional transmitter technologies such as distributed modulated lasers (DMLs) and externally modulated lasers (EMLs), silicon photonics could offer cost-effective scalability at volume, while maintaining the bandwidth and integration benefits required by next-generation network infrastructure. While EMLs continue to serve long-haul and regional network requirements, SiPh modules are emerging as a strong alternative for AI/GPU clusters and cloud computing environments. For more from L2Tek, click here.

Reinforce cooling to avoid summer downtime, operators urged

Off the back of unseasonably high spring temperatures, data centre operators are being encouraged to prepare for the summer heat by working with specialist partners to supplement cooling in emergencies, maintenance, and upgrades. The callout comes from temporary power generation and temperature control company Aggreko, which has warned that the combination of rising temperatures and ageing infrastructure could significantly impact uptime on industrial, commercial, and retail sites across the UK. Temperatures exceeding 25°C are now becoming increasingly common throughout the nation, placing older generations of equipment, which aren’t designed to operate in these ranges, at risk of overheating and subsequently failing. The chances of breakdowns are drastically raised if equipment hasn’t been properly maintained, with blocked condenser coils potentially forcing a system to overwork to the point of compressor failure. In the data centre sector, even a brief failure in cooling systems could lead to catastrophic consequences. Without adequate temperature control, overheating can lead to hardware damage, data loss, and service outages, resulting in severe financial penalties. As temperatures this year have already reached over 29°C, Chris Smith, Head of Temperature Control for UK and Ireland at Aggreko, has called upon data centre operators to assess their cooling capacity to ensure that critical operations remain uninterrupted. He says, “If recent temperatures are anything to go by, then this summer is set to bring even more extreme conditions capable of driving equipment to the point of failure. If facilities rely on ageing HVAC systems to keep processes ticking, then the risk of breakdowns during heatwaves only increases. “Working with a specialist in both HVAC and power can be the real difference maker. Doing so provides contractors with the opportunity to leverage specialist expertise and tailored solutions that address immediate cooling needs and safeguard operations against the risks posed by extreme temperatures.” Aggreko claims that with a 'thorough understanding of the challenges of critical temperature applications,' its team of technical experts can help determine the temporary and supplementary cooling, heating, and dehumidification solutions required based on a project, location, and temperature requirements. Its cooling provision spans industrial chillers ranging from 50kW to 1500kW, air conditioners in sizes from 50kW to 200kW, and cooling towers with single units from 2500kW or combined units for multi-megawatt projects. For more from Aggreko, click here.

Chemists create molecular magnet, boosting data storage by 100x

Scientists at The University of Manchester have designed a molecule that can remember magnetic information at the highest temperature ever recorded for this kind of material. In a boon for the future of data storage technologies, the researchers have made a new single-molecule magnet that retains its magnetic memory up to 100 Kelvin (-173 °C) – around the temperature of the moon at night. The finding, published in the journal Nature, is a significant advancement on the previous record of 80 Kelvin (-193 °C). While still a long way from working in a standard freezer, or at room temperature, data storage at 100 Kelvin could be feasible in huge data centres, such as those used by Google. If perfected, these single-molecule magnets could pack vast amounts of information into incredibly small spaces – possibly more than three terabytes of data per square centimetre. That’s around half a million TikTok videos squeezed into a hard drive that’s the size of a postage stamp. The research was led by The University of Manchester, with computational modelling led by the Australian National University (ANU). David Mills, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at The University of Manchester, comments, “This research showcases the power of chemists to deliberately design and build molecules with targeted properties. The results are an exciting prospect for the use of single-molecule magnets in data storage media that is 100 times more dense than the absolute limit of current technologies. “Although the new magnet still needs cooling far below room temperature, it is now well above the temperature of liquid nitrogen (77 Kelvin), which is a readily available coolant. So, while we won’t be seeing this type of data storage in our mobile phones for a while, it does make storing information in huge data centres more feasible.” Magnetic materials have long played an important role in data storage technologies. Currently, hard drives store data by magnetising tiny regions made up of many atoms all working together to retain memory. Single-molecule magnets can store information individually and don’t need help from any neighbouring atoms to retain their memory, offering the potential for incredibly high data density. But, until now, the challenge has always been the incredibly cold temperatures needed in order for them to function. The key to the new magnets’ success is the unique structure, with the element dysprosium located between two nitrogen atoms. These three atoms are arranged almost in a straight line – a configuration predicted to boost magnetic performance, but now realised for the first time. Usually, when dysprosium is bonded to only two nitrogen atoms it tends to form molecules with more bent or irregular shapes. In the new molecule, the researchers added a chemical group called an alkene that acts like a molecular pin, binding to dysprosium to hold the structure in place. The team at the Australian National University developed a new theoretical model to simulate the molecule’s magnetic behaviour to allow them to explain why this particular molecular magnet performs so well compared to previous designs. Now, the researchers will use these results as a blueprint to guide the design of even better molecular magnets.

LSC completes new dark fibre route in Kansas City

Light Source Communications (LSC), an owner-operator of networks serving enterprises throughout the US, has announced it has completed work on a new dark fibre network in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, aiming to deliver new opportunities to the region’s tech-rich ecosystem at a time when artificial intelligence (AI) and other high-performance computing (HPC) technologies are driving demand for greater connectivity. The 35-mile metro ring already has a major hyperscaler as the anchor tenant, with more on the way, as well as connections to four data centres so far. The Kansas City route is the first of LSC’s four new network builds to be completed this year, with projects in Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Tulsa also on track to be finished in 2025. “We’re thrilled to raise a toast to this exciting milestone,” says Debra Freitas, CEO of LSC. “Expanding into the Kansas City market is a key step in our strategic growth across high-demand US regions. As AI and HPC continue to drive unprecedented connectivity needs, we remain committed to delivering high-capacity, low-latency solutions to organisations of all sizes. As a carrier-neutral, customer-agnostic provider, LSC is proud to support the evolving demands of today’s digital economy.” Kansas City is the third-fastest-growing tech market in the US and has emerged as a hub for data centre projects. The area’s infrastructure, existing tech sector, and trained workforce make it a prime location for LSC’s dark fibre network. The route will be entirely underground with a high fibre count and conduit system. The Kansas City project follows a similar pattern to LSC’s other dark fibre builds underway. In Las Vegas, the company is building a 60-mile route that intends to bring hyper-connectivity to one of the country’s fastest-growing data centre markets. The Phoenix network will encompass 300+ miles and 15 rings. In Tulsa, LSC is adding 80 miles of new fibre to its existing 50-mile network. In addition to all of the networks being underground, all are anchored by a hyperscale tenant.

Arelion connects EcoDataCenter to Nordic AI superhighway

Arelion, a Swedish telecommunications company formerly known as Telia Carrier, today announced it is upgrading its existing Point-of-Presence (PoP) at Swedish sustainable data centre operator EcoDataCenter’s Falun, Sweden, data centre campus with the latest-generation open optical line systems. Arelion’s network enhancement enables connectivity to its AI superhighway in the Nordics, leveraging scalable 400G and 800G coherent optics. This upgrade continues Arelion’s investment in its Scandinavian network by enhancing capacity and diversity to support its wholesale and enterprise customers’ AI deployments. EcoDataCenter builds data centres designed for demanding AI workloads and is used by global AI companies such as DeepL and CoreWeave. The company is also currently experiencing growth across the region. “Arelion’s investment is crucial in bolstering Scandinavia’s latest wave of technological innovation amid the region’s AI market growth,” argues Peter Michelson, CEO of EcoDataCenter. “By providing high-capacity connectivity to sustainable data centre infrastructure, we will collaborate to empower customers with Tier-1 services that support the AI ecosystem, enabling digital transformation across vital industries.” Sweden’s AI sector is experiencing growing investment, with analysts projecting the market will reach $6.35 billion by 2031, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 26.24%. The country’s data centre market is also growing to support these applications through digital infrastructure, with experts estimating it will reach $2.73 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 10.39%. This growth is most likely driven by the higher availability of sustainable power in Sweden, with the country’s existing data centre capacity totalling over 130 MW, which is critical for supporting energy-demanding AI workloads. Arelion is offering its enhanced capabilities with delivery starting early Q3 2025. “This strategic deployment continues our Scandinavian network investments, allowing us to provide the vital backbone connectivity needed to support AI and cloud applications in the region’s booming technology markets,” comments Patrik Andreasson, Head of Sales Nordic & CEE at Arelion. “Our partnership combines high-capacity services with energy-efficient infrastructure, accelerating our customers’ AI deployments to spur further innovation across the Nordics.” For more from EcoDataCenter, click here.

New CEO of R&M announced

A new era of leadership is beginning at R&M, a globally active Swiss developer and provider of infrastructure solutions for data and communications networks. The family-owned company has appointed Roger Baumann (58) as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Michel Riva, CEO of R&M since 2012, has decided to scale back his professional activities and focus on consulting and advisory board mandates. The handover took place on 23 June 2025, following a short transitional phase. "Over the past 13 years, Michel Riva has developed our company in a foresighted, goal-orientated manner with great personal commitment. Under his aegis, R&M established itself on the ICT market as an internationally recognised provider of network infrastructures," says Martin Reichle on behalf of the owner family. Under the responsibility of Michel Riva, R&M’s sales increased by 60% in 2022 to CHF 298 million (£271.75 million). The number of employees has almost tripled. The Group’s largest markets are Switzerland, Germany, Eastern, Southern and Western Europe, the Middle East, and India. "Under the leadership of Michel Riva, R&M has further established itself as a global player in the ICT market. Stakeholders were impressed by his focus on internationalisation, segment, and growth strategy, as well as overall solutions," says Chairman of the Board of Directors Thomas A. Ernst. "Together with the management team, Michel Riva has developed R&M from a component manufacturer to a provider of integrated solutions for public networks, data centres, and local area networks." "Being CEO of R&M was the best job of my career," comments Michel Riva as he bids farewell. Roger Baumann has decades of international management, technology, and sales experience in the manufacturing industry. He began his career in 1998 at Siemens, where he worked, among other things, as Head of Global Business Segments and as Managing Director of the market organisation in Taiwan. From this position, he is familiar with the infrastructure solutions for building automation, such as those offered by R&M in the LAN division. Since 2009, Roger has been CEO and Managing Director of three medium-sized, globally active technology companies. Most recently, he led Büchi Labortechnik in Flawil. He studied electrical engineering at ETH Zurich and completed his doctorate in microtechnology at EPFL Lausanne. He also completed the Executive MBA program as well as the Board Program at the University of St Gallen. "I am impressed by the high level of expertise, the perceptible passion, and the global team spirit of the R&M team," says Roger, describing his impression after his first few weeks at the company. For more from R&M, click here.

Fused connectors increase system availability for data centres

IT systems are only ever noticed when they fail. The new Han Protect connector solution from HARTING, a German manufacturer of electrical and electronic connectors, cable assemblies, and industrial networking equipment, aims to help simplify troubleshooting in the event of failures. Large buildings like data centres require a Building Automation System (BAS) to control Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), lighting, power supply, core IT, and security systems. The control cabinets for those subsystems are built with fused terminal blocks or circuit breakers to protect the automation devices against short-circuits or overcurrent. In the event of a short circuit, fixing the fault and finding the broken fuse is a time-consuming task that must be performed by expensive skilled workers. The fault may not even be in the switch cabinet, it could also be in the device itself. Both possibilities must therefore be checked and sometimes several control cabinets need to be examined before the fault can be isolated. With Han Protect, HARTING have developed a new connector that seeks to simultaneously simplify protection and reduce installation space in the control cabinet. Inside the connector (designed in the Han 3A format), there is an insulation body that adapts an M12A-coded five-pole connector and integrates a 5x20 mm miniature fuse. In the event of a short circuit, the fuse ensures that the supply to the connected units is quickly interrupted. A red LED on the Han Protect clearly identifies the blown fuse and should enable quick, simple, and tool-less replacement without opening the cabinet. Due to the external mounting of the housings, up to 30% of installation space for connectors can be saved inside the cabinet. The main advantage of Han Protect is that extensive fuse terminal blocks are no longer required. The control units remain protected while the connected systems can be started up again quickly. Some benefits include:• Increased system availability due to reduced Mean Time To Repair (MTTR).• Increased efficiency in maintenance due to visual identification of blown fuses outside of the control cabinets.• Space savings of up to 30% for control cabinets by eliminating extensive fuse terminal blocks inside of the control cabinet. For more from HARTING, click here.