EXA Infrastructure and Bulk Fiber Networks announce strategic partnership including the Havfrue transatlantic cable system

EXA Infrastructure, and Bulk Fiber Networks today announce they have entered into a strategic partnership including the Havfrue subsea cable connecting the US to Norway and Denmark and into EXA’s extensive European backbone.

EXA Infrastructure and Bulk Fiber Networks announce strategic partnership including the Havfrue transatlantic cable system

Key takeaways

  • EXA Infrastructure and Bulk Fiber Networks have entered a strategic partnership including the Havfrue subsea cable
  • Havfrue connects the US to Norway and Denmark and will be fully integrated with EXA’s European and US network
  • The route starts at New Jersey Fiber Exchange (NJFX) and runs direct to Kristiansand, with a second arm to Esbjerg
  • Havfrue is the only system serving the northern corridor today and the first transatlantic system to connect into Norway
  • The Nordic data centre market is set to reach $10.21 billion by 2027, according to Arizton

What the partnership includes

EXA Infrastructure, the largest dedicated digital infrastructure platform connecting Europe and North America, and Bulk Fiber Networks today announce they have entered into a strategic partnership including the Havfrue subsea cable connecting the US to Norway and Denmark and into EXA’s extensive European backbone.

Havfrue will be fully integrated with EXA’s extensive European and US network, providing onward connectivity to hundreds of on net data centres and cable landing stations. Combined with EXA’s other transatlantic routes customers can benefit from multiple protection and diversity options to provide extremely high levels of availability.

This partnership will provide existing and prospective customers with a new diversified route starting in the US at New Jersey Fiber Exchange (NJFX) and direct to Kristiansand in Norway. A second arm extends to Esbjerg, Denmark. The route avoids the major conventional transatlantic traffic passages and establishes EXA and Bulk as the industry leaders offering diverse and robust infrastructure.

Landing pointCountryFacility
New JerseyUSNew Jersey Fiber Exchange (NJFX)
KristiansandNorwayBulk’s N01 data centre campus
EsbjergDenmarkDK01 data centre

Comment from Merete Caubet

Bulk Fiber Networks VP Sales and Business Development, Merete Caubet said: “EXA is the ideal partner for Bulk in our mission to create a more healthy carrier community in the Nordics. Today, we take the next steps to the future of transatlantic connectivity whereby EXA Infrastructure and Bulk Fiber Networks unite to forge a strategic partnership that not only connects the US to the Nordics on the Havfrue subsea cable but also to EXA’s extensive network. The cable lands in Bulk’s N01 data centre campus in Kristiansand, Norway, fuelled by 100% renewable energy and also in DK01 data centre in Esbjerg, Denmark. Together, we chart a course from New Jersey to Norway and Denmark and in doing so, we redefine industry leadership, offering a diverse and robust connectivity solution.”

The Havfrue system and the Nordic market

The Havfrue subsea cable is the only system serving the northern corridor today and is the first transatlantic system ever to connect into Norway. The system became ready for service in 2020, spanning 7851 kilometres, with a system capacity of more than 144 Tbps and a trunk cable connecting New Jersey to Esbjerg on the Jutland Peninsula of Denmark.

Havfrue in numbers

  • Ready for service in 2020
  • Spans 7851 kilometres
  • System capacity of more than 144 Tbps
  • Trunk cable connecting New Jersey to Esbjerg on the Jutland Peninsula of Denmark

According to 2022 report by Arizton Advisory and Intelligence the Nordic data centre market is set to reach $10.21 billion by 2027. The Nordic region is a growing hub to land submarine cables and for hyperscale and colocation data centre investments due to the strategic location, climate and access to sustainable energy which is accelerating this market as a hotspot.

Comment from Steve Roberts

EXA Infrastructure, VP Network Investments, Steve Roberts said: “Bulk Fiber Networks epitomises the essence of a strategic partner in our objective to connect the world as we deliver on our mission to become the undisputed pan-European and transatlantic data centre to data centre connectivity provider. Bulk’s unique route aligns seamlessly with our vision and together we start the next chapter in transatlantic connectivity, redefining the future.”

About EXA Infrastructure

Headquartered in London, EXA Infrastructure is a portfolio company of I Squared Capital and the largest dedicated digital infrastructure platform connecting Europe and North America and owns 142,000 kilometres of fibre network across 34 countries. EXA’s network connects 300 cities and offers 13Tier 3-equivalent data centres, with sub-sea routes that include three transatlantic cables, one the lowest latency link between Europe and North America. For more information, see exainfra.net

About Bulk Fiber Networks

Bulk Fiber Networks owns and operates more than 10,000 km of international, new-built, high-capacity subsea and terrestrial fiber networks connecting the Nordics.

Bulk Fiber Networks is part of Bulk Infrastructure Group, a leading provider of sustainable digital infrastructure connecting the Nordics. Bulk Infrastructure Group is an industrial investor, developer and operator of industrial real estate, data centers and dark fiber networks. For more information, see https://bulkinfrastructure.com

Frequently asked questions

Who is EXA Infrastructure?

We own and operate 180,000 route km of fibre and duct across 31 countries, with nine transatlantic cable systems connecting Europe and North America. Backed by I Squared Capital, and run as a pure-play infrastructure company, independent of any hyperscaler or cloud.

What does EXA Infrastructure sell?

Dark Fibre, Spectrum, Wavelengths and Ethernet on routes we own, a Managed Fibre Network (MFN) where we run the network on your behalf, colocation at cable landing stations and amplifier sites, and technical services from design and build to full network outsourcing.

Where does the network reach?

Across Europe and the Atlantic: terrestrial routes from the Nordics to the Mediterranean and the Balkans, nine transatlantic systems into North America, and corridors extending east toward the Caucasus.

Who does EXA Infrastructure serve?

Hyperscalers, NeoClouds and content platforms, carriers and service providers, financial markets, and governments and critical infrastructure operators: organisations that want the physical layer on their own terms.

How do you buy from EXA Infrastructure?

Long-term IRUs to hold capacity outright, flexible leases without the long commitment, or fully managed services. The model is yours to pick; the network is the same either way.

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