CrossChannel Fiber project across English Channel completes marine route survey
Submarine network consulting and project management company Pioneer Consulting says that the marine route survey for the CrossChannel Fibre submarine cable has completed. Pioneer served as owner’s representative on the project for Crosslake Fibre, the company that will own and operate the network.
CrossChannel Fibre will be the first submarine cable to be built across the English Channel in almost 20 years (see "Crosslake Fibre to aim CrossChannel Fibre system across English Channel"). EGS conducted the survey, which comprised geotechnical, geophysical, and unexploded ordnance surveys to discover a route optimized for cable protection, obstruction avoidance, and respect of the needs of the national and local governments of the UK and France. The project required more than a dozen pieces of specialized equipment, according to Pioneer Consulting. The project team is now reviewing terabytes of data determine the final route.
“This is a pivotal moment for such a groundbreaking project,” said Iain Ritson, Pioneer Consulting’s director of client solutions and project director for CrossChannel. “These unique times have made it clearer than ever how essential it is to have fast, secure, reliable telecommunications bandwidth for our society to thrive and stay connected. We are honored to be working again with Crosslake Fibre to forge a new path across the English Channel that will provide significantly enhanced capacity during this critical time.”
The CrossChannel Fibre submarine cable will run between the London suburb of Slough and Paris, France. The undersea system will contain 96 fiber pairs, each providing over 20 Tbps of capacity. Pioneer Consulting is providing system integration services for the cable project to support the on-time overall delivery of the subsea portion of the project. Pioneer also authored the request for proposals (RFP) and oversight of the bidding process for the recently completed marine survey and selected EGS for the role.
“There is a tremendous need across the globe for new, creative solutions to telecommunications challenges. The CrossChannel Fibre project will provide critical infrastructure relied upon by millions of people and businesses at a time when it is most needed. Our size and experience allow us to utilize industry-leading suppliers at every level of the project. Our contractors often operate as an extension of our own team, and Pioneer Consulting’s project management services have been instrumental as we execute this mission-critical project,” commented Mike Cunningham, CEO of Crosslake Fibre.
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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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