Ghana has revealed that the country’s USD38 million Eastern Corridor Fiber Optic Backbone project, which spans 775km and connects 27 districts and towns between Ho (Volta Region) and Bawku (Northern Region), has been completed and will enter operations shortly. The network, which serves major towns such as Kpando, Jasikan, Nkwanta, Bimbila, Yendi, Tamale, Gushiegu and Bawku, is capable of supporting 100G technology. The project which began in 2008 and is funded by a loan from the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), aims to provide national data centre facilities and connect together all of its public institutions into a single communications infrastructure. Going forward, the government will deploy a 165km extension linking Accra to Ho, in addition to the rollout of a Western Corridor Fiber Optic Backbone aiming to increase offshore connectivity.
Wholesale provider InterNexa, a subsidiary of Colombia’s power utility Interconexion Electrica SA (ISA), and Coriant have announced the successful completion of an open optical transport field trial featuring disaggregated 100G and 200G transmission over third-party optical infrastructure. InterNexa operates a ring-based optical backbone infrastructure that supports IP and wholesale transport services throughout South America, with over 49,000km of optical fibre interconnecting Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Brazil. The open optical transport field trial was conducted in Colombia earlier this year across active transmission links on InterNexa’s backbone network using Coriant Groove G30 Network Disaggregation Platform. The testing encompassed multiple alien wavelength use cases, including DCI-optimised 200G 16QAM coherent transmission across a direct link between Bogota and Medellin at a distance of 364km and ultra-long haul DWDM 100G QPSK transmission between the same cities using an express route through Cali for a total distance of approximately 1,400km.
Equinix has announced the completion of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan’s equity interest in the Metronode group of companies in an AUD1.035 billion (USD792 million) all-cash transaction. Data centre provider Metronode currently operates facilities throughout Australia. The deal expands the company’s operations in Sydney and Melbourne, and provides a presence in four new markets, namely Perth, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane. Additionally, the Metronode site in Perth will become the landing station for the 4,600km Australia Singapore Cable (ASC) linking Perth to Singapore via Jakarta in Indonesia; Vocus is expected to lay the cable in early 2018, with a ready for service (RFS) date of July.
Zayo Group Holdings has announced that it has completed the acquisition of all of the assets of long-haul infrastructure provider Neutral Path Communications and Near North Partners for USD31.5 million. The takeover will add 452 owned plus additional leased route miles to Zayo’s North American network, including a unique, high-count fibre route from Minneapolis to Omaha. Jack Waters, CTO and president of Fiber Solutions at Zayo said: ‘The acquisition enables us to better connect and support our robust Minneapolis network … Because of the complementary nature of the acquisition, and our Tranzact platform, we can begin cross-selling our full suite of services immediately.’
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