Crosslake Fibre to aim CrossChannel Fibre system across English Channel
Having conquered Lake Ontario, fiber network services provider Crosslake Fibre has set its sights on the English Channel. The company says it plans to build the 550-km CrossChannel Fibre submarine and terrestrial network that will connect Slough in the UK to Paris. The subsea portion will be the first fiber cable deployed across the English Channel in nearly 20 years, says the company.
The non-repeatered system will comprise 96 fiber pairs, each providing more than 20 Tbps of capacity. Crosslake Fibre expects the system to be ready for service in the fall of 2021. Marine survey work is underway, with EGS contracted to perform the marine and burial surveys for the project.
"We are excited to launch this historic subsea project and deliver a new, much-needed connection across the English Channel connecting the critically important data hubs of Slough and Paris,” commented Mike Cunningham, CEO for Crosslake Fibre. “This new fiber infrastructure has been optimized to create the shortest path between the two data hubs, providing users with an enhanced technical solution and materially lowering operating costs.
“With the continued increase in bandwidth demand further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, subsea cables have never been more critical to the functioning of the backbone of the Internet," Cunningham continued. "The marine survey is an essential milestone in the development of subsea projects. That is why key partners such as EGS are important, as they have the expertise and knowledge to ensure a successful survey of the route and ultimately pave the way for an optimal deployment of the cable."
CrossChannel Fibre will be CrossLake Fibre’s second major network project. The company earlier deployed a fiber-optic network between Toronto and New York that included an underwater segment across Lake Ontario (see “Crosslake Fibre fiber-optic network from Toronto to New York enters service”). Tiger Infrastructure Partners, which backed this initial project, will fund the second effort as well.
"Crosslake Fibre has demonstrated its expertise and ability to successfully develop and deploy infrastructure projects globally. With its CrossChannel Fibre project, the company is well-positioned to support the increasing capacity needs of high-growth regions in Europe," stated Emil Henry, CEO and managing partner of Tiger Infrastructure Partners. "We are excited to strengthen our long-term commitment to Crosslake Fibre and to support its future initiatives."
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Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
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