Key takeaways
- The Trans Adriatic Express (TAE), EXA Infrastructure’s new low latency route between Turkey and France, is now operational
- GÉANT and Madcom are among the customers utilising the diversified routes
- TAE is a joint venture with the Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG (TAP), built to meet demand to move data in and out of Europe, the Middle East and Africa
- EXA upgraded the connection to the Albanian National Research and Education Network, RASH, with a 100G link in time for TNC in June 2023
- Madcom selected EXA Infrastructure as its trusted partner for high-speed bandwidth on TAE
Trans Adriatic Express now operational
EXA Infrastructure, the largest dedicated digital infrastructure platform connecting Europe and North America, today announce its new low latency state-of-the-art route between Turkey and France, the Trans Adriatic Express (TAE) is now operational with GÉANT and Madcom, among other customers, utilising the diversified routes.
The joint venture with the Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG (TAP) has been designed to provide customers the most direct, lowest latency and highly resilient and reliable route across 4,500 kilometres from Marseille to Istanbul. TAE’s route is in response to meet the increasing demand to move data in and out of Europe, the Middle East and Africa as workloads and volumes rise exponentially across sectors.
Comment from Steve Roberts
“TAE is a significant feat of engineering, a model for partnerships and a new important addition to the European digital infrastructure landscape. This new east-west fibre corridor is what the market has been waiting for and I am delighted TAE is now ready for service and will support improved commercial opportunities, accelerate the development of digital services and enable new ideas to thrive,” said Steve Roberts, VP Network Investments, EXA Infrastructure. “We are very proud to have designed, installed, commissioned and now delivered TAE within 12 months which underscores our commitment to innovation and delivery excellence.”
Technology on the route
The network which has been built in parallel with the gas pipeline for close to 900 kilometres enables TAE to benefit from the high security controls and network availability that encompasses the infrastructure. EXA has implemented the latest Infinera (ICE-6) Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) technology to provide the maximum possible performance as well as offering 400G as a product on this network, together with spectrum-as-a-service.
Route facts
- 4,500 kilometres from Marseille to Istanbul
- Built in parallel with the gas pipeline for close to 900 kilometres
- Infinera (ICE-6) Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) technology
- 400G offered as a product, together with spectrum-as-a-service
- Designed, installed, commissioned and delivered within 12 months
What GÉANT and Madcom said
GÉANT’s Chief Network Operations Officer, Bram Peeters said: “EXA put in amazing efforts to upgrade the connection to the Albanian National Research and Education Network, RASH, with a 100G link in time for our annual conference, TNC, which was hosted by RASH in June 2023. Our 700+ TNC attendees benefited from the seamless connectivity throughout the conference, and now Albanian research facilities can rely on 100G connectivity to support their international research collaborations well into the future.”
The symbiotic partnership is already creating growth opportunities for long-haul connectivity as well a driving growth in local digital economies.
Madcom, International Carrier Relations Manager, Altin Leksani said: “Madcom’s ambition is to provide high-quality connectivity and full-scale internet and data solutions to our local and international customers, by incorporating sensible and cost-effective technologies. We strive to provide our subscribers with the bandwidth and solutions required to accomplish their missions and serve their communities. This is why we selected EXA Infrastructure as the trusted partner for high-speed bandwidth on their ultra-advanced Trans Adriatic Express system. Thanks to EXA’s robust infrastructure and low latency capabilities our customers will be granted the best possible service and experience.”
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 127,000 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 the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP)
TAP transports natural gas from the giant Shah Deniz field in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea to Europe. The 878 km long pipeline connects with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Turkish-Greek border in Kipoi, crosses Greece and Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Southern Italy. TAP’s shareholding is comprised of bp (20%), SOCAR (20%), Snam (20%), Fluxys (20%) and Enagás (20%). More about TAP: www.tap-ag.com
