Relined

MAXIMISING THE POTENTIAL OF EXISTING FIBRE NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE

RELINED FIBER NETWORK

Seeing the Light with Dark Fibre By making the most of existing fibre network infrastructure, Relined Fiber Network is delivering cost-effective, scalable and secure connectivity with near unlimited bandwidth to organisations across Northwestern Europe Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki

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TECHNOLOGY

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he Netherlands and Germany are waking up to the potential of fibre optic connectivity.

Last year the number of Dutch fibre connections passed the three million mark, while the German government announced €12 billion in funding to turbocharge its nationwide rollout of fibre to homes and businesses.

But while investment in laying down new infrastructure and building new networks is welcomed, a looming question remains about how to make the most of such infrastructure once it has been laid – in other words, utilising as much of the installed capacity as possible.

Back in 2003, Jan Willem Tom was asking himself the exact same question. The answer? Dark fibre.

“Dark fibre is the basic platform for a private, future-oriented network,” he explains. “Because fibre optic networks are widespread in the Netherlands and Germany, you do not have to construct your own network from scratch.

“In many cases, an existing network can be used and only the last mile to the location needs to be excavated.

Based on the equipment you have chosen, you can construct a private network that meets all your requirements using existing fibre optic infrastructure.”

This is the basic premise from which Tom formed what is now known as Relined Fiber Network.

Some 17 years on, he still serves as the organisation’s Managing Director and is determined to continue its mission of putting unused fibre optic capacity onto the market, especially his home market in the Netherlands and now Germany.

Indeed, today Relined stands as an internationally renowned player in the dark fibre realm for two key reasons.

First, because the company leverages the capacity of already-laid networks without having to make large investments, it can offer cost-effective, reliable solutions across a wide territory.

“This leads into the second reason why we are uniquely positioned,” adds Tom. “We are the only company to have a nationwide network at our disposal in both the Netherlands and Germany, and we are increasingly able to access the international market.

“We can reach pretty much any location. The biggest internet nodes in Europe – Amsterdam and Frankfurt – are connected to our network, including the major data centres.

“Relined Fiber Network delivers your fibre optic connection from A to B in the form of stable, reliable dark fibres belonging to public and/or private networks. Together with our preferred suppliers, we have more than 30,000 kilometres of high-grade fibre optic infrastructure. This means nationwide, fine-meshed dark fibre networks.”

EXPANDING ACCESS The major beneficiaries of this are large enterprises that require stable, reliable and secure connections which are easily scalable.

Typical Relined customers include data centres, network suppliers, ISPs, hosting companies and system integrators, as well as organisations in

Jan Willem Tom, Managing Director

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RELINED FIBER NETWORK

the wholesale, healthcare and public sectors, all of which are served with transparency and professionalism – two key pillars of the firm’s approach to business.

The last few years in particular have seen more clients use Relined’s expertise in Germany. In 2017, a dedicated division (Relined GmbH) was formed to focus on service delivery in what Tom believes is a market full of potential.

“The required fibre optics are in place, but the networks were built by different and often unrelated regional and local operators,” he adds.

“Consequently, the fibre optic landscape in Germany is fragmented and the networks are not optimally used.

“Relined sees opportunities here and aims to link these networks together and make them available to the market, supplying a one-stop shop connection from A to B.” In 2018, the company signed a milestone partnership agreement with 4 | EME Outlook issue 36

large fibre network operator NGN. Tom goes on to explain how the relationship is very much a symbiotic one, with Relined able to use its expertise to market NGN’s network to new customers and manage new contracts, while also helping the parties to connect with smaller regional networks at the same time.

Beyond Germany, the firm is also delivering dark fibre connections to Denmark via a subsea cable from the Netherlands, a move which opens up access to the rest of Northern Europe and the UK.

POWERED BY PARTNERSHIP The breakthrough with NGN in particular highlights the critical nature of collaboration to Relined’s ongoing success story.

From the contractors who perform the last-mile groundwork to install connections to customers’ premises to the network providers whose infrastructure is leveraged, the ultimate

“...RELINED SEES OPPORTUNITIES HERE AND AIMS TO LINK THESE NETWORKS TOGETHER AND MAKE THEM AVAILABLE TO THE MARKET, SUPPLYING A ONE-STOP SHOP CONNECTION FROM A TO B”

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RELINED FIBER NETWORK potential of dark fibre can only be realised by several parties working closely together.

“Relined has the core competences it needs in house and contracts everything else out to partners,” says Tom. “For example, in the Netherlands we work with contractors such as Van de Beek Kabels & Leidingen, Strukton, AV-Fiber and E&R. “Adinf provides us with invaluable services in relation to relocations, including support of the civil works.

In addition, they handle the permits in Amsterdam, allowing us to guarantee to our customers a short delivery time of between one and three weeks

between data centres.”

Another highly successful collaboration began in 2017 when Relined expanded its reach by 4,000 kilometres of fibre network thanks to a partnership with BT, activity which has also seen the number of connected Dutch data centres grow from 70 to more than 100, granting access to many business locations.

And for the MD, expansion through partnership lies at the heart of his growth plans moving forwards.

“We constantly look for other partnerships to improve our network,” Tom continues. “We’re looking to identify any gaps in our network coverage and

DARK FIBRE – THE BASICS Dark fibre is a literal definition of what it is – a lightless fibre optic connection. Without the activating equipment that is needed to send and receive data, the fibre optic cable remains dark.

This innovative cable offers attractive opportunities for companies and organisations, the advantages of dark fibre grouped into four major categories: NEAR UNLIMITED BANDWIDTH: This results in fast transmission of data and optimal connectivity for the user, while they only pay for the fibre optic connection and the equipment.

SCALABILITY: If customers want to assign extra bandwidth to a service or add extra services to the network, they can do so in a very short space of time, without the need to buy any additional bandwidth.

FULL CONTROL: Scalability is possible because of the level of control held by the customer over their network, and as an organisation they are not dependent on a third party’s partners in any way. Not only do they retain full control over management and maintenance the network, they also control project costs.

ENCRYPTION/SECURITY: Organisations – particularly institutions in the healthcare, public and financial sectors – are increasingly required to demonstrate that they are in control and that they handle personal data and other confidential information responsibly. Dark fibre has its own light-generation equipment, meaning customers have greater control over a connection’s security and can add layers of encryption.

Dark fibre also offers enhanced cloud and backup capabilities.

Relined operates with ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certification, meaning it fulfils the highest standards in the areas of quality and information security.

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see which networks are located in the areas where market demand is high – then we’ll see whether there’s scope for collaboration with the parties involved.

“This could be done by marketing the network as a proprietary network or by leasing network capacity to meet customer demand. The choice depends greatly on demand for a particular region. The advantage of viewing it as a proprietary network is that as a company we invest in its promotion, pursue optimal leasing arrangements and manage the customer relationships.”

But such growth will not arrive without challenges.

The Managing Director names several trends which Relined will have to negotiate, including a squeezed labour market and shortage of skills available to contractor partners, a fibre penetration rate of just four percent in Germany (versus 50 FTTH in the Netherlands), and the general acceleration of a digital society which is increasingly characterised by giant organisations which struggle to remain agile.

However, these challenges can be addressed and are outweighed by opportunities.

For instance, Germany’s low fibre penetration rate opens up a massive opportunity to grow fibre uptake in the country, a shift which Relined could play a significant role in driving.

Likewise, the fact we are living in an increasingly digital society is in itself creating openings for new business, even in the area of 5G. “Although our network is more suited to backbone connections to the data centres, 5G still requires a fine-meshed fibre optic network providing national cover,” Tom explains. “Fibre optic networks are essential for the processing of the data flows coming from 5G. Every bit and byte sent, anywhere in the world, eventually ends up in physical, underground fibre optic cables.

“Alongside the laying of fibre optic cables for households, the creation

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of core and backbone networks is at least as critical. These core networks promote mutual connectivity between the networks, internet exchanges and facilitate data centres.

“It is therefore important that all fibre optics providers cooperate – after all, the networks have to be linked up together to allow a complete 5G network to be created. If we want to get the most out of 5G, we will have to

make sure that fibre optics reach into every last corner.”

And as the MD has already highlighted, partnerships will be critical to this being realised, his ambition for 2020 and beyond being to build on existing and establish new cooperative relationships with network providers.

Consolidating and growing customer bases in the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark should follow,

with Tom also focussing on positioning Relined as a single organisation operating across borders, a process which will require close collaboration between employees in different countries.

“Every provider who lays a network has unused capacity,” he says, drawing the conversation to a close.

“Our aim is to make this capacity available. Why go digging in the ground when there’s already so much great capacity down there? And why are networks being laid for just one purpose when – through good cooperation – these can also be made available to third parties?”

RELINED FIBER NETWORK info@relined.eu www. relined.eu

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RELINED FIBER NETWORK Relined B.V. Clarissenhof 1b 4133 AB Vianen Tel: +31 (0)347 358 010 Relined GmbH Auerbachstr. 12 14193 Berlin-Grunewald Tel: +49 (0)32 22 999 0075 info@relined.eu www.relined.eu

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