In a groundbreaking move for Europe’s digital landscape, EXA Infrastructure has unveiled a major new high-capacity fibre route following a series of strategic partnerships and network expansions slated for 2024. Spanning 1,200 km, this innovative network connects pivotal financial and data hubs in London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and Brussels, marking the first new subsea cable in the North Sea corridor in 25 years. This key infrastructure milestone is designed to enhance both the resilience and scalability of connectivity options across Europe.
The newly deployed route incorporates an impressive 1,085 km of low-loss G.652D terrestrial fibre, paired with a 115 km subsea segment that stretches from Margate in the UK to Ostend in Belgium, utilizing ultra-low-loss G.654C cable. Furthermore, EXA has established two new cable landing stations, its 21st and 22nd globally, while also upgrading existing in-line amplifier facilities across the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Notably, EXA Infrastructure stands out as the sole telecom consortium member responsible for the submarine portion of the cable, overseeing Landing Party and backhaul services and solidifying its essential role in the seamless deployment of this critical infrastructure.
This fibre route expansion aligns with EXA’s overarching vision to modernize and optimize fibre paths between the crucial FLAP hubs—Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, and Paris—augmenting previous investments in related infrastructures like the Channel Tunnel. According to Chief Operating Officer Ciaran Delaney, the project has presented ‘complex and challenging’ regulatory and environmental hurdles, especially concerning the subsea installation confronting difficult seabed conditions. However, EXA’s regional expertise and advanced technical capabilities have enabled the company to surmount these challenges, ultimately delivering next-generation connectivity.
With ultra-low latency rates estimated at 6.2 ms to Amsterdam and 9.4 ms to Frankfurt, the new fibre route boasts bandwidth capacities exceeding 5 Petabits per second. This exceptional capability is vital for sectors requiring quick data processing and transmission, notably in financial services, gaming, and broadcasting. EXA’s extensive network footprint now expands over 155,000 km across 37 countries, inclusive of six transatlantic cables, and features the lowest latency transatlantic connection recognized as EXA Express.
In 2024, EXA has been proactive on multiple fronts to bolster Europe’s critical infrastructure, signing a strategic partnership with SOCAR Fiber in July to cultivate terrestrial fibre routes that provide alternatives to traditional submarine corridors, such as the Red Sea route. A subsequent alliance with the advanced network solutions provider Macarne further expanded onward connectivity by establishing over 500 optical Points of Presence that interlink major European hubs.
EXA’s prominence in the digital landscape was amplified when the company was recently chosen by IOEMA as the landing partner for a new 1,600 km submarine cable network initiated in May 2024, which will connect additional North Sea countries like Denmark and Norway. This partnership enhances backhaul connectivity to significant data centers, including London Telehouse and Equinix, tackling the increasing demand for low-latency, high-capacity digital infrastructure in Northern Europe.
This advancement in Europe’s digital infrastructure comes amid ongoing upgrades to the UK’s energy and communication frameworks, highlighted by Ofgem’s recent £2 billion funding approval dedicated to subsea and underground cables supporting renewable energy projects in the North Sea, showcasing a continental momentum towards reinforcing both digital and energy networks.
Moreover, competitors, including euNetworks, are also making substantial investments in high-capacity fibre routes, exemplified by their newly launched ‘Super Highway’ connecting Amsterdam and Frankfurt, aimed at enhancing network efficiency, reducing power consumption, and minimizing carbon impact by circumventing congested fibres and bottlenecks.
Collectively, these investments signify a growing commitment to future-proof Europe’s digital infrastructure, ensuring it is equipped to provide speedy, robust, and scalable connectivity amid a rapidly evolving digital economy. EXA Infrastructure’s North Sea fibre route is strategically positioned to play a vital role in this transformation, catering to the escalating demands of a data-driven world while aligning with the region’s aspirations for digital leadership on a global stage.
