Colt deploys new dark fibre along Channel Tunnel from London to Paris

Colt Technology Services completed the deployment of a new dark fibre (G.652D/G.657) cable along the Channel Tunnel connecting London (UK) to Paris (France).

Colt’s new fibre network will provide businesses and organisations with faster, more reliable, and uninterrupted data connectivity across borders. It will also support the growing demand for cloud computing and other digital services in both London and Paris, with a seamless end-to-end SLA.

Colt, which is responsible for the day-to-day operations of all new cables installed in the Channel Tunnel, boasts a transfer rate of several Tbps per fibre pair with the new infrastructure. With this evolution of the infrastructure, customers will have access to their 100Gbps/400Gbps Colt IQ network, supported by reliable low latency, high-bandwidth connectivity and service guarantees through the tunnel. The tunnel offers the best path to close a key network loop that runs between London, Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam.

Colt says the new fibre enables it to offer significantly better security and more capacity than subsea cables in that the Channel Tunnel is a highly protected environment not vulnerable to piracy, ship anchors, commercial fishing, or shipping. The tunnel has had no accidents since its installation in 1994.

“We are pleased to announce the successful completion of this step of this important project,” said Herve Jost, Director of Eurotunnel/Getlink Connectivity Solutions, Colt Technology Services. “Approximately 80% of the internet traffic which runs between the UK and mainland Europe today travels through the Channel Tunnel. Our new fibre cable in the Tunnel will transform the subterranean rail link between the UK and mainland Europe into a major data route to support the anticipated growth in traffic over the coming years.”

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SES connects AWS Modular Data Center for Defense Department

SES Space & Defense has begun offering satellite-powered network connectivity for AWS Modular Data Center for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) applications.

In February 2023, AWS announced the availability of AWS Modular Data Center to the DoD under the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC) contract. 

SES’s multi-orbit, multi-band global fleet of satellites with AWS Modular Data Center can enable defense customers to access low-latency, cloud-based applications and services securely in Denied, Disrupted, Intermittent, and Limited (DDIL) environments through a dedicated network connection to AWS Regions. 

Later this year, the U.S. DoD customers will also be able to leverage SES’s second-generation medium earth orbit (MEO) constellation, O3b mPOWER, designed with an open architecture approach in space, ground, and user terminal allowing users to bring their own modems/waveform. 

President and CEO of SES Space & Defense David Fields said, “Our multi-orbit, multi-band satellite network delivers direct low-latency connectivity to AWS Regions, enabling mission success at the tactical edge. In a network-enabled battlefield, the ability to rapidly and securely extend cloud and edge computing into a tactical ecosystem in real time is critical to our warfighters in theatre.”

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Dell'Oro: Broadband equipment spending up 7% in 1Q

Total global revenue for the Broadband Access equipment market increased to $4.6 B in 1Q23, up 7 percent year-over-year (Y/Y), according to a new report from Dell'Oro Group. Spending on infrastructure remained robust. However, ONTs. Modems, and other CPE units to connect broadband subscribers, dropped 7 percent Y/Y.

"For many service providers, broadband subscriber growth is slowing, resulting in a reduced need for new CPE," said Jeff Heynen, Vice President with Dell'Oro Group. "Meanwhile, infrastructure purchases are strong as providers continue to expand their footprints and replace legacy copper networks," explained Heynen.

Additional highlights from the 1Q 2023 Broadband Access and Home Networking quarterly report:

• Total residential Wireless LAN units were up 5 percent Y/Y, marking the first Y/Y increase since 1Q 2021. Consumers are finally increasing their purchases of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E units after last upgrading back in 2020.
• Total cable access concentrator revenue was up 4 percent Y/Y at $265 M. Remote PHY devices, Remote OLTs, and Virtual CMTS platforms all recorded significant revenue gains for the quarter, as cable operators continue to expand their DAA and fiber initiatives.

https://www.delloro.com/news/broadband-equipment-spending-increased-7-percent-y-y-despite-signs-of-slowing-subscriber-growth/

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Equinix to open its first data center in Kuala Lumpur in Q1 2024

Equinix plans to open its first data center in Kuala Lumpur in Q1 2024, following its expansion announcement last year to enter Malaysia with a data center in Johor. 

As Malaysia enters Phase 2 of its MyDIGITAL blueprint for a digital economy, demand for digital infrastructure is expected to remain robust. According to Synergy Research, Malaysia is already the third largest data center colocation market in the ASEAN region, and is forecast to have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 11% from 2022–2027.

The new facility in Kuala Lumpur, named KL1, together with the recently announced JH1 in Johor, will also provide digital infrastructure that businesses need to capitalize on the country's digital economy.

Highlights

• The KL1 IBX data center will be located in Cyberjaya within Kuala Lumpur. Cyberjaya is a key part of the Multimedia Super Corridor in Malaysia, a government-designated zone to promote and boost Malaysia's digital economy.
• The first phase of KL1 will provide an initial capacity of 450 cabinets and colocation space of 1,300 square meters. When fully built, it will provide a total of 900 cabinets and colocation space of 2,630 square meters.
• KL1 and Equinix Fabric will enable customers to deploy their infrastructure to connect with the world's leading cloud service providers, including Alibaba Cloud, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure, safeguarding their business-critical data in a private and secure environment.
• In Asia-Pacific, Equinix currently operates 51 data centers in 13 metros across Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea and Singapore, with expansions announced in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Jeremy Deutsch, President, Asia-Pacific, Equinix, said, "Over the past several years, we have witnessed Malaysia emerge as an increasingly strategic location for global digital infrastructure, and we believe it to be an attractive destination for data center growth and investment. Following our initial investment in Johor, we are excited to add another data center in Kuala Lumpur. By expanding Platform Equinix® in the two most strategic metros in Malaysia, we will enable Malaysian businesses, as well as multinationals with a presence in Malaysia, to leverage a trusted platform to bring together and interconnect the foundational infrastructure to power their success. We believe the two data centers will fuel Equinix's existing data center momentum and support Malaysia's aspirations as a digitally driven connectivity hub."

https://www.equinix.com/newsroom/press-releases/2023/06/equinix-to-expand-digital-infrastructure-platform-in-malaysia-to-kuala-lumpur

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Toshiba and Classiq to collaborate on gate-based quantum

Toshiba Digital Solutions and Classiq Technologies, a start-up based in Israel, signed a technology collaboration agreement focused on gate-based quantum computing.

Quantum computers can be broadly classified into two types which are the Ising machine type and the gate-based universal computer. While the Ising machine is specialized in solving combinatorial optimization problems, the gate-based is intended for general-purpose applications. 

Toshiba Digital Solutions is offering quantum technologies such as Quantum Key Distribution and SQBMTM, a uantum-inspired optimization solution based on the Simulated Bifurcation Machine on conventional computers. 

Classiq is developing a gate-based quantum computing software platform that enables both beginner and expert designers to rapidly generate, analyze, and execute quantum circuits.

In the agreed technology collaboration, utilizing the know-how cultivated in technological development of quantum and AI, Toshiba Digital Solutions will conduct technical evaluations of quantum AI using the Classiq platform. And based on the results, Toshiba Digital Solutions will explore various use cases that the gate-based quantum computing will enable to solve in the field of energy, social infrastructure, smart manufacturing, carbon neutrality, and circular economy, etc. where Toshiba Group has many years of experience. Classiq will support TDSL’s use case exploration and optimize the platform for these industrial use cases.

Shunsuke Okada, President and CEO of Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation said, "We are excited to have the opportunity of technology collaboration with Classiq. We will create new value through QX (Quantum Transformation) together by combining Classiq platform and Toshiba Group’s quantum technology, AI, and IT knowledge cultivated over many years.”

Nir Minerbi, Classiq CEO said, “We’re excited to collaborate with Toshiba Digital Solutions, a global technology leader. Classiq’s state-of-the-art quantum software platform combined with Toshiba Digital Solution’s deep AI, IT knowledge and advanced technological expertise will be leveraged to explore and architect sophisticated quantum algorithms enabling an industrial Quantum Transformation (QX).”

https://www.global.toshiba/ww/products-solutions/security-ict/qkd.html

https://www.classiq.io

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