Press Release

Tamares Telecom, a leading fiber-based international communications and data service provider and network operator, a subsidiary of Aluma Infrastructure Fund and Grid Telecom, a wholly owned subsidiary, and the telecommunications vehicle of the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO) of Greece, agreed to build ANDROMEDA, a subsea optical fibre cable system connecting Greece, Cyprus, and Israel.

The strategic partnership between Grid Telecom and Tamares Telecom for ANDROMEDA will bring advanced data transport solutions, to create a new telecommunications corridor between Europe and the Middle East. Leveraging on the strategic positions of Greece and Israel, the transcontinental fibre cable system will also offer wholesale customers leading edge connectivity and international reach across the European continent, the Mediterranean and the Arabian Peninsula, through the development of an alternative international digital highway that is much needed by the regional economy.

Emerging as the prime wholesaler in the Greek market, Grid Telecom exploits IPTO’s extensive optical network in Greece and neighboring countries and integrates it with its own fibre links and Points-of-Presence, to achieve network diversity, maximum security, and exceptionally low latency while creating a new carrier neutral, open-access, connectivity hub in the region.

Tamares Telecom owns and operates TAMARES-NORTH, a high-capacity subsea cable system between Israel and Cyprus, with extensions to multiple international destinations, providing customised communication and cloud infrastructure solutions and services. The strategic agreement with Grid Telecom for ANDROMEDA is in line with Tamares Telecom’s strategy of strengthening its infrastructure, expanding its international network, and increasing its entry points to Europe by providing an eastern gateway via Greece through the new cable system.

The ANDROMEDA system will connect Israel, Cyprus, and Greece through an alternative low latency path between Europe and the Middle East, extending through additional subsea and terrestrial links westwards to the Balkans and important destinations in Central and Western Europe, and eastwards to the Arabian Peninsula and other destinations.

“Tamares Telecom is continuously developing and extending its national and international infrastructure. Our collaboration with Grid Telecom to build and operate the ANDROMEDA system will add explicit value to our robust reach in Europe and the Middle East. Our investments in new infrastructure projects and solutions reiterate our leading position thanks to the multiple layers of our infrastructure diversity, which include establishing new subsea cable systems and crossing routes that will cater for the rising market demand for high quality bandwidth data transport, through an alternative telecommunications bridge between East and West,” said Ori Yogev, Chairman of Aluma Infrastructure Fund.

“IPTO is building critical infrastructure for tomorrow’s electricity and telecommunications backbone networks throughout Greece and beyond, contributing to Greece’s transformation into a critical energy and data hub of high geopolitical value at the crossroads of Europe, Africa and Asia. In this context, the fact that Israel is fast developing into a key international telecommunications hub in the Middle East, creates strong synergies and win-win business opportunities. We are very pleased that the cooperation between IPTO’s subsidiary, Grid Telecom, and Aluma’s subsidiary, Tamares Telecom, has culminated in the agreement to build the ANDROMEDA subsea cable system, bringing a new international route that will enhance the strategic role of Greece as a neutral open-access connectivity node in the broader Balkans – Mediterranean region,” said Manos Manousakis, the Chairman and CEO of IPTO.

Want to keep up to date with all of the latest telecoms news from the submarine cable industry? Join the cable operators in discussion at this year’s live Submarine Networks EMEA event!

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Interview

For the past two years, Freedom Fibre has been working tirelessly to bring a full-fibre network to both rural and urban areas of the North West. Through this time, they’ve seen the Alt-Net Sector shift the focus from increasing build numbers to the importance of increasing connection rates. In a recent interview with Total Telecom at the 2023 Connected North Conference, Freedom Fibre’s CFO, Darren Woods, highlighted this change and argued that a customer-centric approach to the full-fibre network roll-out was essential in generating more interest and increasing the slow rates of uptake.

In the interview, Woods noted that many consumers don’t feel the need to make the switch to full-fibre, and therefore priority must be given to ensure residents feel informed on the reliability and resilience benefits of full-fibre as well as the upcoming structural changes associated with the copper switch off. In addition, Woods highlighted the importance of having healthy and rigorous competition within the Alt-Net sector which would make full-fibre more accessible and ultimately generate value for customers. Through this he emphasised the need for efficient networks, and how Freedom Fibre’s proposition for an aggregation platform could help other Alt-Nets gain access to a wider market and would make it easier for consumers to switch broadband providers.

You can watch our full interview with Darren from the link below

For more information about Freedom Fibre’s roll-out plans, head to www.freedomfibre.com

Planning for Connected North 2024 has already begun! For more information and to get involved, please contact Dominic Beresford-Webb at dominic.beresford-webb@totaltele.com

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Contributed Article

By David Wilson, global offering director for solar and telecom energy solutions at Vertiv

It’s no surprise that telecoms operators around the world are prioritising sustainability initiatives. The GSMA estimates that they account for up to 3% of the total global energy demand, and estimates that this number will increase further despite the savings in energy consumption that the new 5G radio standard brings. Multiple new mobile stations will be needed to meet the expected exponential growth in data traffic from 5G connected devices, as well as the growing demands of edge capacity for high-performing services.

Telcos are also under pressure to comply with stringent laws and regulations. For example, the EU requires listed companies with more than 500 employees to comply with the new Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) based on a unified Green Classification System called “EU Taxonomy”.

However, whilst there’s plenty of pressure on telco operators, there is also positive news, as these organisations have already made significant strides in tackling their energy consumption; the industry was an early adopter of solar energy and today telcos are looking to expand their adoption of renewables (wind energy, solar PV, and lithium battery storage) to deliver a resilient, reliable, and more sustainable energy supply.

The industry should certainly be commended for these efforts, but there is still plenty of work to be done. So, with a growing impetus to ‘get sustainability right’ and to do it quickly, what near and longer-term strategies can telcos deploy to help boost energy efficiency and make more strides in achieving sustainability?

Be honest and open about your intentions and capabilities

Whilst much of this article will tackle the technological innovations which operators can implement to drive their sustainability credentials, it is important to first look at the promises telcos make and the green messages they send into the market. Specifically, it is vital to avoid the temptation to indulge in ‘greenwashing’.

The greener or more sustainable a brand is, the more likely it will be able to attract customers and maintain a higher price in comparison to competitors. Simply put, companies want to buy from responsible vendors.

But while it’s tempting to hype your green credentials, operators must be careful with overpromises or worse, claims that are not true. Disingenuous messages are likely to be spotted by consumers and watchdog organisations and can cause a negative impact on a brand’s reputation.

This same honesty is vital in attracting and retaining staff. Integrating sustainability initiatives into the day-to-day business strategies and honest communication around challenges and achievements will help operators to secure the talent they need for future success.

Transition to high efficiency rectifiers

Away from the marketing messages, there are a number of immediate practical steps operators can take to reduce the power they use, shrink their electric bills and support the transition to a more sustainable future.

One of the most obvious routes to a greener future is to simply transition to high efficiency rectifiers in the DC power systems present at every access site. Replacing legacy DC power systems with newer, high efficiency models can improve energy efficiency by up to 6%.

What’s more, modern equipment frequently includes energy saving modes and features that are all too often ignored. Today’s DC power systems, for example, are more intelligent and capable of more advanced energy management than legacy systems, but in many instances, operators don’t harness those functions, favouring static operation. We urge operators to make the most of these systems’ capabilities and reap immediate energy saving benefits.

Align energy strategies to your access site

When you consider geographies, climate, grid reliability, water availability, governmental regulations and countless other factors around the globe, it becomes clear that no single strategy is appropriate for every access site.

Energy and carbon management strategies must be linked to planning and real estate, and operators must tailor their approach to the conditions across their networks. For example, hybrid energy systems leveraging solar power to supplement unreliable or overtaxed grids are more commonplace in much of Africa, South America, the Middle East, and parts of Asia than in the US where grid service is usually reliable and affordable.

Use intelligent controls to manage the load

Today, thanks to the latest innovations in technology development, comprehensive real-time monitoring of AC and DC power network infrastructure is possible.

Intelligent controllers are available with advanced load management functionalities that enable telcos to visualise potential hotspots, power performance, and distribution inefficiencies in order to optimise the DC power supply, maximise use of cooling, and avoid overload.

By proactively managing the load, operators can identify the location and power profile of every rack at a given site. This ability to map the site’s power distribution and thermal output enables operators to move the load from one rack to another to improve airflow and optimise thermal management. With effective load management tools, high availability can be achieved whilst improving energy efficiencies and saving costs.

Embrace long term strategies

So, it is positive news that there’s already good work being done by telcos around the world in the field of energy management. Other internal sustainability initiatives, such as reuse and recycling equipment and reducing water consumption in factories and offices, are also underway – and are succeeding not only on having a positive impact on the environment but also bring cost savings too.

Progress is happening all the time. Innovations to look at closely include new and emerging battery technologies like sodium-ion that may present additional opportunities for off-grid operation and energy management. And, as on- and off-grid power management becomes more sophisticated, we could see networks evolving into microgrids that generate and share their own power across the network and with the utility.

Although many of these technologies are not viable alternatives in the access network today, we are confident this innovative industry will continue to drive progress – powering a more efficient future for the sector.

Want to hear more from David and the Vertiv team on the topic of sustainability? Join them as they discuss energy efficient cable landing stations at this year’s Submarine Networks EMEA event

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News

The drones will support emergency services across the country, supported by Citymesh’s 5G network

Today, Nokia and Citymesh have announced their latest partnership, which will see the operator use 70 Drone-in-a-Box units from Nokia to help bolster Belgium’s emergency services.

Strategically deployed to 35 emergency zones across the country and managed by five centralised operations centres, these 70 drones will be able to quickly gather information about emergency incidents taking place anywhere in the country.

The drones are equipped with video and thermal cameras, which will be used to relay information in real-time to emergency service personnel.

The deployment follows successful drone trials conducted earlier this year by Citymesh alongside the Fluvia Fire Brigade in Kortrijk, Brussels Airport Company, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, and the city of Genk.

“SENSE is a great example of how technology can save lives. We’ve been impressed with Nokia as our partner for reliable wireless connectivity and an outstanding turnkey Drone-in-a-Box solution that we can customize to our specific needs,” said Hans Similon, General Manager of Citymesh Safety Drone. “Together, we’re making Belgium safer and proving just how innovative we are as a nation.”

The drones, powered by Nokia’s Drone Networks solution, will connect to both public and private 4G and 5G networks.

Citymesh has operated as a B2B wireless connectivity provider in Belgium for almost 20 years, but in recent years its focus has changed, announcing ambitions of becoming the nation’s fourth national mobile network operator (MNO).

The would-be MNO acquired 4G spectrum from the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications in 2020. Since then, it has bolstered its holdings with significant 5G spectrum, acquired alongside Digi in 2022. Citymesh plans to use its spectrum for B2B services, while Digi will focus on offerings direct to consumers.

In fact, earlier this week, Citymesh and Digi announced a new partnership with Dense Air to deploy the vendor’s RAN-as-a-Service (RaaS) small cells and enhance their national 4G and 5G coverage.

Want to keep up to date with all of the latest telecoms news from around the world? Click here to receive Total Telecom’s daily newsletter

Also in the news:
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