Networking

Manchester data centre appoints connectivity partner

Network services provider, Principle Networks, has been appointed by Datum Datacentres to deliver a high-speed IP transit network for Datum’s new data centre in Manchester. The new IP transit network will enable Datum to deliver high-performance internet connectivity to its clients, and is designed to scale in a manner which ensures end users can increase their consumption of internet-based services, without concerns over connectivity limitations. Through the utilisation of Cisco’s best-in-class service provider internet edge routers to host full internet routing tables, the new network will deliver direct access to the internet backbone, ensuring that Datum has greater control over routing policies, and that it can optimise traffic profiles and maximise network availability and reliability. Datum’s new Manchester data centre facility, MCR2, is currently under construction and is due to go live in spring 2025. It will offer 24,000 square foot of technical space within the 50,000 square foot building. Matt Edgley, COO at Datum Datacentres, comments, “After Principle Networks successfully delivered a similar project at our Farnborough data centre facility, we decided to appoint them as a preferred partner for our new Manchester facility. This complex and critical project required a team that we could trust. The highly resilient IPT provision that Principle Networks is deploying will allow us to offer our clients high performance enterprise grade connectivity with low latency and consistent performance to support digital transformation journeys. “We work with best-of-breed suppliers to provide resilient links across the UK and beyond and are pleased to be continuing our relationship with Principle Networks as a premium connectivity partner.” As specialists in designing and implementing complex data centre networks and scalable, agile cloud-based networks for mid-large enterprises, Principle Networks works across all sectors, including legal, retail, logistics, social housing, automotive, financial services, IT and local government. Russell Crowley, co-founder at Principle Networks, adds, “We are proud to have been chosen to partner with Datum to deliver the IPT network for MCR2. The development of this new data centre is great news for Manchester and will offer businesses the opportunity to host their infrastructure in one of the most well connected, resilient and cutting-edge facilities in the region. We’re excited to be a part of it and are looking forward to the new data centre coming online in the very near future.” For more from Datum Datacentres, click here.

Ooredoo and DE-CIX bring Internet Exchange to Qatar

Ooredoo, a Qatar-based telecommunications operator, in partnership with DE-CIX, a global operator of carrier-neutral Internet Exchanges (IX), has officially announced Doha IX powered by DE-CIX, Qatar’s first standalone commercial Internet Exchange (IX). Leveraging DE-CIX’s global expertise, developed across nearly 60 locations worldwide, this initiative strengthens Qatar’s position as a regional digital hub by enhancing connectivity, reducing costs, and delivering exceptional customer experiences. Doha IX will offer a secure, carrier-neutral platform that facilitates low-latency traffic exchange, improves network performance, and supports remote peering services. Businesses in Qatar and across the region will benefit from cost-effective, direct access to global and regional content providers, streamlining connectivity through a single port while significantly reducing traditional IP Transit costs. Doha IX is built on DE-CIX’s cutting-edge interconnection infrastructure and Ooredoo’s state-of-the-art data centres. Supported by both partners’ established relationships with global content providers and networks, these critical assets ensure seamless and efficient traffic exchange, reducing latency, optimising network performance, and creating a robust Internet Exchange ecosystem in Qatar. “We are proud to introduce Doha IX, which represents a significant step in upgrading Qatar’s digital infrastructure,” says Thani Ali Al Malki, Chief Business Officer at Ooredoo Qatar. “Doha IX delivers faster, more reliable connectivity while reducing operational costs for businesses and driving innovation across various industries, aligning with the goals of Qatar’s National Vision 2030 and advancing our digital transformation initiatives.” Ivo Ivanov (pictured above, right), CEO of DE-CIX, adds, “With Doha IX powered by DE-CIX, we are bringing DE-CIX’s global expertise to Qatar, enabling businesses and networks to benefit from superior interconnection services. Doha IX is the ideal place for international networks interested in reaching this important Middle Eastern market. The new IX, established through the partnership between DE-CIX and Ooredoo, will unleash the potential of the country’s digital economy by providing better performance and user experience of content and applications, and affordable and high-quality Internet access for enterprises and individuals. This partnership marks an important milestone in strengthening regional connectivity and creating an advanced digital ecosystem that supports economic growth and innovation in the GCC for the amazing digital decades ahead of us.” DE-CIX is an established name in the Middle East, with a proven track record of developing healthy IXs and vibrant interconnection ecosystems. Doha IX, which will be built and operated under the DE-CIX as a Service (DaaS) model, is the sixth IX operated by DE-CIX in the region. Through this collaboration, Ooredoo and DE-CIX are setting the foundation for advanced interconnection in the region. Together, they support Qatar’s digital transformation goals and are seeking to position the country as a leader in the global digital economy, aligning with Qatar’s National Vision 2030. For more from DE-CIX, click here.

Feature - The Top Internet Outages of 2024

Ahead of their appearance at the upcoming DTX Manchester exhibition - taking place from 2-3 April 2025 - Cisco ThousandEyes, a network intelligence company, explores some of 2024’s most notable Internet outages and application issues, along with key takeaways to help ITOps teams improve digital resilience in 2025. In 2025, digital resilience is a top priority for IT Operations teams around the globe. When outages happen, it’s how you identify and recover from them that makes the big difference for users and businesses. Beyond that, consistent proactive optimisation is essential to both elevate digital experiences for users and guard against potential problems before they impact customers. The biggest outages of 2024 provide plenty of learnings for ITOps teams charged with improving digital resilience in their business, with recurring themes emerging - most notably the number of outages that were the consequence of configuration changes or automation related. Here, Cisco ThousandEyes goes through some of the most notable outages and disruptions of 2024, identifying key takeaways to help businesses assure great digital experiences for their users in 2025. Microsoft Teams Service Disruption | 26 January 2024 Microsoft Teams was disrupted for more than seven hours in January, when a problem inside Microsoft’s own network affected the collaboration service. Frozen apps, login errors, and users left hanging in meeting waiting rooms were some of the symptoms reported during the disruption, which began early in the workday for many Americans. ThousandEyes’ own observations during the incident indicated that the failure was consistent with issues in Microsoft’s own network. Failover didn’t appear to relieve the issue for many users; although further “network and backend service optimisation efforts” did eventually restore service. Meta Outage | March 5, 2024 On 5 March, Meta experienced an outage that prevented users from accessing services including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Threads. While the platform appeared to be reachable, many users were unable to proceed beyond the login or authentication process. Shortly after the outage began, Meta confirmed that it was experiencing problems with its login services. The issue was likely caused by a failure in one of the dependencies that the login system relies on. ThousandEyes observations also point to a backend cause, as Meta’s systems appeared reachable and network paths connecting to the services didn’t display any significant network conditions that could have led to the outage. This outage serves as a reminder that issues with just one part of the application delivery chain can render the whole service functionally unusable. It’s crucial to have full visibility into your whole digital delivery chain to help identify any drops in performance or functionality. Atlassian Confluence Disruption | March 26, 2024 In late March, workspace application Atlassian Confluence experienced issues, resulting in customers having problems accessing the service and receiving HTTP 502 bad gateway errors. While this was a relatively short outage, lasting just over an hour, ThousandEyes’ analysis revealed it affected users all over the globe. By tracing the network paths to the application’s frontend web servers, hosted in AWS, it was clear that this was a backend issue rather than network connectivity itself. This is one of those outages where relying on error messages would only give you half the story. Identifying the root cause requires you to consider factors such as any third-party dependencies. Being able to rule out issues with a cloud hosting provider, for instance, gets you one step closer to identifying the real problem. Google.com Outage | 1 May 2024 In early May, Google.com experienced a global disruption lasting around an hour, during which users encountered HTTP 502 error messages instead of the expected search results. The HTTP 502 status code often indicates a proxy server failing to connect with the origin server. It can also be a sign of overwhelming levels of traffic, but there was no reason to suspect that Google was suddenly struggling under demand, with no extraordinary events to trigger such an influx of search traffic. ThousandEyes analysis revealed a 'lights on/lights off' scenario, where service suddenly dropped, suggesting a problem with backend name resolution or something connected to policy/security verification, rather than an issue with the search engine itself. CrowdStrike Sensor Update Incident | 19 July 2024 Organisations in Australia and New Zealand began experiencing issues on Friday 19 July, at mid-afternoon. A range of industries and major brands simultaneously reported outages as their Windows machines reportedly got stuck in a boot loop that ultimately resulted in the BSOD (Blue Screen of Death). The impact quickly spread to other geographies, causing problems with airline booking systems, grocery stores, and hospital services. And these were just the tip of the iceberg. Initial responsibility for the widespread outage was thought to lie with Microsoft, but a different common denominator emerged: CrowdStrike, a managed detection and response (MDR) service used to protect Windows endpoints from attack. CrowdStrike published guidance on actions and workarounds for IT administrators, and an early technical post-incident report that attributed the incident to an issue with a single configuration file that “triggered a logic error resulting in a system crash and blue screen (BSOD) on impacted systems.” Recovery wasn’t a simple task, requiring IT staff to physically attend machines to get them functional. At one point, Microsoft reported that up to 15 reboots per machine may be needed. Cloudflare Disruption | 16 September 2024 Cloudflare is one of the world’s biggest CDN providers, so when it catches a cold, other well-known services start sneezing. Cloudflare’s 16 September outage lasted for around two hours, and affected applications such as Zoom and HubSpot. The ThousandEyes platform showed the impact on these third-party applications clearly, with agents in the US, Canada, and India all failing to connect to the various applications during the outage. This is a good example of how you can avert the “Is it just me?” problem. By tracking the entire service delivery process of your applications, you can follow the network paths taken by your apps - and the suppliers they are connected to. Microsoft Outage | 25 November 2024 Microsoft’s late November outage, which affected services such as Outlook Online, occurred in two parts and wasn’t always easy to spot. Problems emerged around 2 AM (UTC), with symptoms such as timeouts, resolution failures, and the occasional HTTP 503 error message. The problems were intermittent and not always obvious to end users, with the service sometimes presenting as slow or laggy. The issue appeared to be resolved within an hour or so, but four hours later problems emerged again, and this time with greater severity. ThousandEyes observed an increase in packet loss at the edge of the Microsoft network and increased congestion connecting to services. Microsoft later explained the problem was caused by a configuration change that caused an “influx of retry requests routed through servers.” The outage was resolved by performing “manual restarts on a subset of machines that [were] in an unhealthy state.” OpenAI Outage | 11 December 2024 We almost made it through an entire year of outages without mentioning AI. OpenAI’s December outage affected ChatGPT and the new generative video service, Sora. Users witnessed partial page loads, with requests for further information prompting HTTP 403 error messages. ThousandEyes observations pointed to backend application issues and that was later confirmed by OpenAI, which revealed that a new telemetry service deployment had “unintentionally overwhelmed the Kubernetes control plane,” causing cascading failures. Key takeaways from 2024 You’ll notice that most of the major outages of 2024 stemmed from a backend configuration change that had unintended consequences or the failure of an automated system. ITOps teams have limited control over faulty configuration changes made by service providers. However, they can enhance their overall visibility into service delivery paths, which allows them to quickly identify the source of any errors when they occur. This approach provides valuable insights into faults or degraded components, enabling teams to take appropriate actions, such as rolling back changes, redirecting to alternative resources, or implementing contingency plans. By thoroughly understanding their service delivery chains, teams can also regularly optimise services to improve digital experiences and enhance digital resilience. As we have observed in several significant outages of 2024, error messages typically provide only a hint about what has happened; they cannot in isolation identify the cause. If 2024’s major outages deliver one lesson, it’s that your digital resilience depends on knowing what’s gone wrong - or what could potentially go wrong - even before the service providers themselves acknowledge an issue. - Cisco ThousandEyes will be exhibiting at the upcoming DTX Manchester event, taking place on 2-3 April 2025. To register, and for more information about the event, click here. For more news from the DTX exhibitions, click here.

UK advances gigabit broadband expansion

Ultra-fast broadband has been rolled out in remote areas of Scotland as part of the Government's initiative to improve connectivity around the UK. Connectivity on the Scottish islands has long been a challenge due to their remote locations, but Openreach engineers, working on the Scottish government's Reaching 100% (R100) programme, have now brought full-fibre broadband to Tiree and Iona. This deployment required careful planning with local organisations to protect wildlife and the natural landscape. The upgrade is seen as transformative, linking islanders to the global digital economy. Further rural Scottish communities are set to benefit from the R100 programme in the coming months, aligning with the government's goal of full digital inclusion. Meanwhile, in North Yorkshire, Quickline is rolling out gigabit broadband under the £5bn Project Gigabit programme, launched in 2021 to boost economic recovery and regional development. Targeting areas overlooked by commercial providers, the initiative ensures underserved locations gain access to high-speed internet. Five months into its North Yorkshire contract, Quickline has delivered access to nearly 5,000 homes and businesses, including the first 46 premises under contract and an extra 4,800 through commercial expansion. The North Yorkshire contract aims to provide broadband to 36,000 funded premises, with an additional 50,000 connections through commercial expansion. Across all its Project Gigabit contracts, Quickline is set to connect 170,000 subsidised homes and businesses in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, rising to 360,000 with commercial builds. Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance, says, "The ongoing rollout of gigabit connectivity can make a transformative difference to the lives of people across the UK, providing fast broadband access to online digital services. Tasks such as online banking, e-learning and booking a digital healthcare appointment are made almost impossible for those without connectivity, so these broadband rollout schemes are vital for the British people. However, the affordability of these services is key - with faster packages often costing much more and being out of reach for those on lower incomes." "Scotland, especially, has proved difficult to reach for broadband providers due to its rural nature, but the success of the Tiree rollout highlights the roadmap for creating a connected Scotland. We'd hope to see the Scottish government placing affordable connectivity as a central point within their digital inclusion strategy work, committing substantial investment into high-speed, affordable infrastructure in rural areas to ensure digital quality for all."

Nokia to upgrade New York Internet Exchange

Nokia and DE-CIX, an Internet Exchange (IX) operator, have announced the upgrade of the backbone network for DE-CIX New York, the largest IX in New York and in the US north-east region. The DE-CIX backbone will be upgraded to 400 Gigabit Ethernet (GE) using Nokia optical technology and redesigned in a ring topology, redundantly interconnecting the 10 data centre facilities where DE-CIX infrastructure is housed and enhancing the resiliency of the platform for all participants. The Nokia optical solution also enables 800GE support for anticipated further growth of the IX and employs Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer (ROADM) technology to ensure much greater routing flexibility, faster reaction times in the case of incidents, and a seamless customer experience without any service interruptions. Dr. Thomas King, CTO of DE-CIX, says, “When we began planning the upgrade of our New York backbone, we wanted to simplify our network, while also increasing the resilience of the platform. We took a detailed look at the options in the market, and Nokia was the best choice for us. We have worked with Nokia globally for more than 10 years now, and the capacity, reliability, and innovative strength of their hardware has always impressed us.” Within a dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) system, the ROADM technology in Nokia’s 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS) makes it possible to automatically re-route waves at the optical layer in any direction around the backbone. This means that incidents at any location in the network can be mitigated more rapidly and less capacity is required at the IP layer to guarantee the same level of resilience. James Watt, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Nokia’s optical business, comments, “In today’s connected world, staying resilient and ready to scale is a must. This upgrade to DE-CIX New York’s backbone isn’t just about supporting the largest Internet Exchange in the north-east - it’s about shaping the future of connectivity in one of the world’s biggest markets. With Nokia’s cutting-edge optical tech, we’re ensuring networks are flexible, reliable, and ready to handle whatever comes next. Together with DE-CIX, we’re building the foundation for a limitless digital future.” Ed d’Agostino, Vice President DE-CIX North America, adds, “This upgrade, powered by Nokia’s optical technology, allows us to future-proof our platform to best serve the New York market and start 2025 on track for further growth. With the number of data centres that we integrate, it is imperative that we have a state-of-the-art transport network with scalable capacity. DE-CIX New York is the largest IX in New York and the youngest Internet Exchange in the Top 5 largest IXs in the US. The platform covers an area spanning Long Island to the East and Piscataway and Edison to the South and West. It connects over 265 networks from across the city, with an infrastructure that spans over 40 data centres served. DE-CIX New York is connected to all other DE-CIX locations in North America, enabling remote peering and access to a vibrant ecosystem of networks not present in other local exchanges. The DE-CIX Internet and Cloud Exchanges in New York, Dallas, Chicago, Richmond, Houston, and Phoenix, and the dedicated Cloud Exchange in Seattle, form the largest carrier and data centre neutral interconnection ecosystem in North America. Further, DE-CIX New York is directly connected to DE-CIX’s locations in Europe – e.g. DE-CIX Frankfurt, the largest IX in Europe – and beyond. Globally in 2025, the 30th year since the operator’s establishment, DE-CIX offers its interconnection services in close to 60 locations across Europe, Africa, North and South America, the Middle East, and Asia. Accessible from data centres in over 600 cities worldwide, DE-CIX interconnects thousands of network operators (carriers), Internet service providers (ISPs), content providers and enterprise networks from more than 100 countries, and offers peering, cloud, and other interconnection services. In addition to this announcement, Nokia will host a webinar together with DE-CIX and 650 Group on the topic of Rewiring the Future: Conversations on Networking for an AI-Driven World. Interested parties can join Rodney Dellinger, CTO of Webscale, Nokia, Dr. Thomas King, CTO of DE-CIX, and Alan Weckel, co-founder and Principal Analyst of 650 group, as they discuss what’s needed for the success of GenAI and how the network needs to evolve to deliver these services to the end users. For more from DE-CIX, click here.

AddOn Networks to showcase new transceivers

Businesses within the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and beyond will gain the bandwidth required to support the latest Artificial Intelligence (AI) developments, as AddOn Networks brings its new 400G and 800G transceivers to Ai Everything 2025. Exhibiting at the event – which takes place in Dubai on 5-6 February – AddOn Networks will be demonstrating products and innovations capable of reducing the demands on existing infrastructure within the region to help businesses handle the surge in demand for AI. “The Middle East has rapidly emerged as a significant global hub for data centres, with AI at the forefront of this evolution,” says AddOn Networks Vice President of Sales, EMEA and India, Sam Walker. “As nations continue to make significant investments regarding data centre infrastructure, AddOn Networks can offer solutions designed to support the AI revolution at a fraction of the price of larger Network Equipment Manufacturers (NEMs).” The UAE continues to diversify its economy away from oil, with significant investments from companies involved in AI technologies made in recent years. Despite this, demand for AI services now outpaces supply; an issue set to worsen as businesses turn towards hyperscale operations that require immense storage frameworks and processing power. Elsewhere, in Saudi Arabia’s ‘Vision 2030’, which is the Kingdom’s $100 billion (USD) AI initiative, 66 of the 96 goals outlined by the country relate in some form to data storage and AI. As these Kingdoms attempt to expand their offerings in non-oil sectors and industries, AddOn Networks has launched the new 800G OSFP 2XFR4 transceiver to simplify massive-scale data centre deployments. The 800G OSFP 2XFR4 offers an extended reach of up to 2 kilometres, and integrates ubiquitous duplex LC connectors to reduce both lead times and the complexity of the structured cabling used in data centres. AddOn Networks will also exhibit its full line of AI transceivers, including its OSFP 2xSR4 and OSFP 2xDR4 transceivers - the first third-party 800G optics specifically designed to meet the needs of AI-enhanced networks. Alongside these cutting-edge 800G solutions, AI Everything will also feature the 400G QSFP112 SR4 and 400G QSFP112 DR4 transceivers, which deliver high-performance connectivity critical for GPU server applications. All transceivers provided by AddOn Networks are compatible - and can be seamlessly integrated with - all major NEM platforms used in the region, including Nvidia, Arista, and Juniper. “The global competition to be first to market for AI-fuelled services is intense,” Sam continues. “Data centre operators require greater choice, but without compromise, to ensure their AI deployments go to market on-time and on-budget. AddOn Networks transceivers are built on a foundation of quality components and 100% performance, rigorous testing to ensure not only host compatibility, but interoperability between network equipment gear. As a result, we are in the best position to support customers within the region.” AddOn Networks will be at stand H3-G20 during the Ai Everything exhibition. For more from AddOn Networks, click here.

Exclusive interview with Submarine Networks EMEA organisers

Ahead of the upcoming Submarine Networks EMEA 2025 event, taking place on 18-19 February at the Business Design Centre in London, Simon Rowley, Editor of DCNN, speaks with Harry Baldock, Editor of Total Telecom - the event's organiser - about what visitors can expect from this year's two-day show. DCNN: For our readers who may not be familiar with Submarine Networks EMEA, what can you tell them about the event? Harry: Submarine Networks EMEA is the largest annual subsea connectivity event, bringing together the over 1,000 senior leaders from across the industry for two days of networking and vibrant conference sessions. The event takes place at the Business Design Centre in London and attracts attendees from all over the world. Total Telecom has been hosting this event since 2018, during which time it’s gone from strength to strength, becoming a mainstay for the subsea community every year. DCNN: What are some of the biggest trends impacting subsea connectivity at present, and in what ways will these be reflected at the show? Harry: Personally, I think there are three big themes we’re seeing in the submarine cable space right now: security, geopolitics, and the recent boom in AI-powered data centre investment. Increasing security concerns, driven by the unstable global situation, are leading to tighter regulation and therefore more hurdles to be overcome when connecting cables to certain countries. This is leading to costly delays in planning and deployment – in some cases, sections of cable have already been built, but regulatory changes have left their owners unable to activate them. On the other hand, the booming data centre market is presenting many new opportunities for the subsea industry. All of these data centres will need global connectivity and their deployment is triggering a new wave of cable deployment, particularly in previously underserved areas. Other important topics include cable sustainability, maintenance, and recycling; cable deployment and repair ships; SMART cables (built with sensors to capture scientific data); subsea regulation; and training the next generation of professionals in this often-underappreciated industry. DCNN: How many exhibitors will be in attendance at this year's event, and what products or innovations will be showcased? Harry: There will be over 50 exhibitors at the show this year, showing off a wide variety of new projects and technologies. The core of the exhibitors, of course, are those showing cable system-related solutions – from landing station technology to the latest optical technologies. But there are many more players that play a role in a successful subsea cable project – for example, cable builders and operators, data centre operators, cable deployment experts, optical networking solutions providers, public sector officials, and national regulators. All of these will feature representation on the show floor at Submarine Networks EMEA. DCNN: The event will also include a jam-packed conference programme. What's in store for visitors this year, and what are expected to be among the highlights of these sessions? Harry: The telecoms and tech industries have become ever more interwoven in recent years, and this is clearly reflected in our conference agenda, which touches on everything from cable investment strategies to integrating sensing technologies. Our morning keynote sessions are always a major highlight; this year, our Day 1 keynote focuses on the privatisation of the submarine cable industry and the role of the hyperscalers, while Day 2’s will focus on the rapidly expanding data centre environment. On a personal level, as a journalist, I really enjoy the ‘News in Brief’ sessions – 10-minute updates on various cable projects around the world. They are always crammed with information. They also tend to include interesting anecdotes about overcoming challenges along the way, whether its decommissioning sea mines in the North Sea or having engineers canoe around the Norwegian fjords as part of the cable planning process! Lastly, a major goal for the event has always been to shed light on this niche industry as a career path and to help nurture the next generation of subsea professionals. Our Junior Top Dogs networking event, taking place on Day 2, is specifically designed to give students and other newcomers to the industry the opportunity to talk directly with industry veterans. You can check out our full agenda by clicking here. DCNN: Data centres are listed among the nine key themes that Submarine Networks EMEA will tackle. Could you expand on this notion and provide insight as to what visitors can expect with regards to this? Harry: As I’m sure your readers are aware, the data centre industry has been booming, with the hyperscalers pledging to invest billions of dollars in new data centre deployments in the coming years. Those same hyperscalers – like Meta, Google, and Microsoft – are also the key movers and shakers of the submarine cable industry, typically playing a leading role in the consortiums that build the submarine cables. The relationship between submarine cables and data centres is quite fundamental. More data centres being deployed globally will have major implications for the type and capacity of new cable systems deployed, and where these systems will interconnect with terrestrial networks. The Day 2 opening keynote focuses on this topic in detail, asking how the AI-driven data centre surge is impacting the subsea sector and what the two industries can learn from each other. DCNN: What are some of the biggest challenges in the subsea connectivity sector in 2025? Harry: As mentioned, cable security is a big challenge. We’ve seen lots of cable damage in key geopolitical hotspots in recent years – particularly the Red Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the waters around Taiwan – and, while accidental damage to cables happens every year, deliberate sabotage is suspected in a number of cases. Physically monitoring and defending such massive cables is a technical challenge of huge scope and financial cost, but one that the industry is under increasing pressure to solve. These security fears are, in turn, leaching into the regulatory landscape, which is at risk of becoming more intrusive and potentially obstructive to subsea projects. This is particularly the case in the US, where the Federal Communications Commission is currently reworking its submarine cable regulations for the first time since 2001! Just this month we have seen the UK government take steps in a similar direction, launching a subsea cable security enquiry this year and seeking to identify emerging threats in this space. As a result, submarine cable projects are likely to be more closely regulated, causing delays and additional expenses. In some cases, cable systems could be forced to circumvent some countries or bodies of water entirely. But the geopolitical uncertainty of the modern world is not all doom and gloom for the submarine cable industry. With national governments growing increasingly picky around how their international data is transported, opportunities to build new cables to meet these needs are beginning to arise. Greater submarine cable diversity means more choice for customers and reduces reliance on individual cables. DCNN: Is AI having a big impact on this sector, and if so, will this be a big theme throughout the event? Harry: I would describe AI’s effect on the sector as indirect but significant. As mentioned, AI is spurring a major investment in specialised data centres and seeing global data usage estimates increase massively. The submarine cable industry will have to adapt to this changing environment, though modern cables should be able to handle the predicted increase in data transport. Perhaps more interesting, the cable owners themselves are making increasing use of AI when planning and operating these systems, particularly regarding automation. This can deliver some huge cost-savings, enhance network monitoring, and support predictive maintenance. DCNN: What are the show's organisers most excited about heading into this year's exhibition? Harry: We’re thrilled to once again be at the heart of such a vibrant industry! We’re very lucky that the submarine cable industry is extremely collaborative by nature, and so great conversations are never far away. We’re looking forward to providing a forum for these discussions and helping the community tackle some of the biggest challenges in the sector today. DCNN: Is there anything else you'd like DCNN readers to know about? Harry: There is an oft-quoted figure in the industry that submarine cables carry over 95% of global internet traffic, but the vast majority of people do not even realise they exist. So, my message to readers would be: don’t forget about the submarine cable industry! It’s a huge, unseen part of our global digital fabric and becomes more diverse and broader in scope every year. Whether you’re dipping your toes into the submarine cable industry for the first time or you’re an industry veteran looking for a deep dive, Submarine Networks EMEA will put you at the heart of the industry. Submarine Networks EMEA will be taking place on 18–19 February at the Business Design Centre in London. If you’d like more information or want to get involved in Submarine Networks EMEA, please contact the event's Project Director, Laura O’Reilly, at laura.oreilly@totaltele.com.

LINX IXP in Jeddah completes capacity upgrades

The London Internet Exchange (LINX) has completed its 100G capacity upgrade project in Jeddah, following an increase in customers and port demands at the interconnection hub in KSA. LINX has been powering Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) for Center3, its strategic partner in Saudi Arabia, since 2018. Jeddah was the first port of call for this deployment and since then, LINX peering services have gone live in Riyadh and teams are preparing to deploy in Dammam this year. Jeddah is one of the main landing stations for subsea cables in the Middle East, distributing global content locally and providing convenient onward connectivity to Asia, Europe and Africa. The IXP in Jeddah creates a neutral and central meeting point in the MG1 (MENA Gateway) data centre for carriers, cloud, content providers, enterprise networks and more to peer their network traffic locally and improve end user online performance. The IXP also offers lower latency, increased control and resilience, and increased security and redundancy. Halil Kama, Regional Director for LINX in the Middle East, comments, “We are pleased to be upgrading our internet exchange capacity with an additional 16x 100G port capability due to customer demand in Jeddah. This enhancement further strengthens Jeddah’s role as a digital gateway, ensuring faster, more efficient connections for networks and users across the region.” With regular traffic peaks over 650Gbps, networks connected into the IXP in Jeddah need to ensure their ports have the capacity to cope with the spikes in online traffic often generated by sporting events or gaming upgrades. There were 36.84 million internet users in Saudi Arabia in January 2024, with an impressive internet penetration rate of 99% of the total population at the start of 2024. Additionally, Kepios analysis indicates that internet users in Saudi Arabia increased by 527,000 (1.4%) between January 2023 and January 2024. The rapid evolution of the digital scene in Saudi Arabia is fuelled by its Vision 2030 strategy. The growth in sports and event tourism has generated a greater need for lower latency streaming solutions, and with talks that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) could acquire a minority stake in sports streaming service, DAZN, this demand is set to continue to increase. AWS has also just announced Jeddah as a new CloudFront Edge location and plans to invest more than $5.3 billion (£4.3bn) in the long term to develop Saudi Arabi as an AWS cloud region. With an increase in partnerships, investments and services comes a further demand for capacity and continued and reliable low latency interconnection solutions. For more from The London Internet Exchange, click here.

Broadband Forum tests interoperability of fibre technologies

Device vendors recently advanced the adoption of high-speed fibre connectivity technologies at a Broadband Forum 'Plugfest' event hosted by CableLabs in Louisville, Colorado. Plugfest brought together leading companies from the fibre sector to test the readiness of their XGS-PON and 25GS-PON technologies and ensure the interoperability of fibre products connecting homes to broadband service providers’ core networks. “Plugfests are a vital tool that help device vendors overcome compatibility worries,” says Craig Thomas, Broadband Forum's CEO. “The goal of this and future Plugfests is to ensure that all broadband service providers are ready for the next generation of fibre connectivity, regardless of whether they are deploying GPON, XGS-PON, 25GS-PON, 50G-PON technologies or those beyond.” Participating companies included Askey Technology, AVM, Calix, CIG, Comtrend, Cortina Access, Evolution Digital, Gemtek Technology, Harmonic, Hitron Technologies, MT2, Nokia, Sagemcom Broadband SAS, Sercomm, TraceSpan Communications, and Vantiva. These organisations tested the interoperability of their systems to ensure fibre equipment can deliver the high-quality connectivity experience consumers expect. Leveraging the results of their tests, vendors are well positioned to enhance the interoperability of their products, driving greater industry collaboration and innovation. Additionally, feedback from participating vendors was instrumental in refining Broadband Forum’s test plans, ensuring continued improvement and success at future testing events. Test case categories included 25GS-PON TC-PM and XGS-PON OMCI, guided by Broadband Forum’s TR-309 Issue 3: PON TC Layer Interoperability Test Plan and TR-255 Issue 2: G-PON & XG-PON & XGS-PON Interoperability Test Plan documents. “The industry recognises the importance of ensuring interoperability between fibre network equipment and the recent event yielded encouraging results,” comments CableLabs Vice President of Wired Technologies, Curtis Knittle. “Our labs are ideal for hosting Plugfests because we provide state-of-the-art testing equipment and expertise, which enables collaboration and interoperability testing in a secure, neutral environment.” The next PON Plugfest, scheduled for 24-28 February 2025, will be hosted by AT&T Labs and LANPARK at the AT&T Broadband Labs in Plano, Texas. It will focus on 25GS-PON and 50G-PON (HSP) test case categories. Another event is planned for summer 2025 at LANPARK’s test laboratory. Registration for the February PON Plugfest is now open. For more information or to register, click here. For more from Broadband Forum, click here.

New 5G network to spark innovation at German University

A new 5G network backbone for more advanced research initiatives and immersive learning platforms has been deployed at Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences (TH Rosenheim) in Germany, thanks to a collaboration between Slovenia’s Kontron and Mugler SE. Slovenia’s Kontron’s 5G Mobile Private Network (MPN), integrated by network systems integrator and telecommunications solutions supplier, Mugler SE, will provide greater speeds, low latency, and increased capacity for more than 7,500 students at the university’s proto_lab research facility. “At Kontron, we are proud to be part of a project that not only advances cutting-edge research, but also creates invaluable learning opportunities for the next generation of innovators,” says Janez Öri, Slovenia’s Kontron Executive Director of Communications Solutions. “The deployment of our 5G MPN underscores our commitment to empowering industries and academic institutions with reliable, high-performance connectivity solutions that drive transformation and progress. “The collaboration with TH Rosenheim and Mugler SE serves as a blueprint for the future, demonstrating how academia and industry can work together to empower education through technology.” The network will enable a seamless integration of AI algorithms and real-time applications at network edge and in the cloud. This aligns with the core aim of proto_lab's ground-breaking research projects under the guidance of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Noah Klarmann, Research Professor in AI for Technical Systems and Co-Director of proto_lab. It will also equip students with the skills to innovate in the increasingly digitalised world. “A reliable network can offer improved mobility and flexibility to cater for people and assets on the move in ever-changing production and logistics environments,” comments TH Rosenheim proto_lab Initiator, Co-Founder, and Director of the Research and Development Platform Prof. Dr.-Ing. Oliver Kramer. “Individualisation caters for customers increasingly asking for personalised technology solutions to meet their unique needs and is providing them with a critical competitive edge over their rivals. Our 5G campus network also provides the perfect foundation for the implementation and further development of our R&D projects in the proto_lab.” With Slovenia’s Kontron’s 5G MPN, industries and enterprises can improve their operations, thanks to enhanced automation, security, and indoor and outdoor connectivity. The network supports various use cases, including asset tracking, automated robots and AVGs, flexible workspaces, real-time process automation and voice and video communications. “The network deployment is the starting point for our comprehensive four-year partnership, during which time, various industry-relevant use cases will be tested,” adds Mugler SE Director Local Networks, Dr. Markus Dod. “At Mugler SE, we focus on providing reliable and forward-looking telecommunications solutions. This partnership with Kontron and TH Rosenheim highlights how 5G technology, combined with practical integration expertise, can drive meaningful progress. Our aim is to demonstrate how customised 5G networks can effectively support both industry and academia in advancing connectivity and automation.” For more from Kontron, click here.