The IOEMA Project: A New State-Of-The-Art Data Backbone

IOEMA Press Release
May 29, 2024

At the Submarine Networks EMEA Conference in London, IOEMA Fibre Ltd. together with its landing partners launched its High-Capacity Data Backbone project for Northern Europe.

IOEMA is a state-of-the-art, high-capacity, 1400 km repeatered submarine fibre optic project that will arc across five key northern European markets – the UK, The Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Norway, supporting critical infrastructure security with full armouring and burial.

The IOEMA cable system consists of a trunk route, connecting Dumpton Gap, UK with Kristiansand, Norway and three branches, connecting Eemshaven, The Netherlands; Wilhelmshaven, Germany; and Blaabjerg, Denmark. The cable connects with vital transatlantic crossings Havfrue (DK), Leif Erikson (NO) and other planned Trans-Atlantic cables.

The IOEMA system will be the first submarine fibre optic cable landing on the North Sea shores of Germany in over 25 years. After decommissioning of TAT-14, SEA-ME-WE 3 and others, the IOEMA submarine fibre optic cable system will be the only cable system connecting Germany to the submarine cable networks in the North Sea and beyond.

With implementing the latest technology, this 48-fibre pair system will support a minimum overall capacity of 1.3 Pb/s.

Landing Partners:

• Bulk Fibre Networks is acting as a landing party in Norway, facilitating the connectivity to the N01 Data Centre, North of Kristiansand, and further towards Oslo.
• Arelion has been selected as the provider of the infrastructure on the shores of Denmark and space in the ex-TAT-14 cable landing station, as well as further connectivity towards Esbjerg and Copenhagen, via their extensive network.
• EWE TEL GmbH and Relined Fiber Network are joint landing partners in Germany, where the IOEMA cable system will terminate at a business park close to Wilhelmshaven, the new energy and transportation hub in the North of Germany. Both companies will provide backhaul routes to Hamburg, Berlin and beyond.
• Eurofiber together with QTS are the landing parties in Eemshaven, The Netherlands, reusing the existing infrastructure of the former TGN Northern Europe cable, terminating in the DC01 of QTS in Eemshaven. Eurofiber will provide redundant backhaul connectivity to Groningen, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Brussels, etc. via their fiber network.
• Colt Technology Services will accommodate the IOEMA Fibre System at their landing point in Dumpton Gap (i.e. Tangerine & PEC) and in their CLS Broadstairs. Backhaul towards all important data centre and Telehouse locations in Greater London is being connected seamlessly.

Key Statements:

“By increasing capacity, performance, and resilience across Northern Europe, the IOEMA project will have a profound impact on digital connectivity for this region and beyond. We’re excited and honoured to be playing a key role in bringing this ambitious vision to reality.” – Annette Murphy, Chief Commercial Officer, Colt Technology Services

“We are excited to partner with QTS and IOEMA Fiber Ltd. in this valuable project, which meets the growing need for backhaul capacity, and underlines the key position of Eemshaven as junction between the Nordics and Western Europe.” – Rhoderick van der Wyck, Managing Director International Business at Eurofiber

“QTS is pleased to play a role in the IOEMA project, underscoring our support of strengthening connectivity across Europe. Our data centers are a critical part of the region’s infrastructure, and this project will bolster the capabilities of our services while reinforcing our ability to meet growing demand. We appreciate the partnership and work of all who are contributing to the success of this undertaking.” – Kees Loer, Vice President, Facilities Operations – Property Engineering (Europe) at QTS Data Centers

“We’re proud to have been selected as landing party and connectivity provider for the IOEMA project. As the world’s number one ranked Internet backbone, we look forward to support increased network capacity and diversity through the project, regionally and internationally.” – Mattias Fridström, VP & Chief Evangelist, Arelion

“Being a landing partner for this key project aligns well with our vision of enabling strategically diversified, sustainable connectivity into the Nordics. Bulk has a strong track-record of complex fiber projects, and we look forward to supporting the IOEMA Project meeting the demand for more critical, diverse infrastructure.” – Merete Caubet, VP Bulk Fiber Networks

“After 5 years of development and observing the market in Northern Europe, it became evident that diverse routes are needed to provide the redundancy for the increasing data demand in the Nordics. We are proud to start this project together with our landing partners and provide further connectivity across Europe and beyond.” – Eckhard Bruckschen, CTO of IOEMA Fibre Ltd.

About IOEMA Fibre Ltd.:

The project company, IOEMA Fibre Ltd., was, after 4 years of project development, founded in 2023. IOEMA is a state-of-the-art, high-capacity, 1400 km repeatered submarine fibre optic project that will arc across five key northern European markets – the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Norway. The multicore 48-fibre pair system will support a minimum overall capacity of 1.3 Pb/s.

For more information, please visit www.ioemafibre.eu

About Bulk Fiber Networks:

Bulk Fiber Networks owns and operates more than 10,000 km of international and intra-Nordic, new-built, high-capacity subsea and terrestrial fiber networks connecting the Nordics. Decades of experience and expertise build confidence for network and cloud providers, carriers, hyperscalers, and enterprises in one of the fastest growing ICT markets in the world.

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. We believe in the value creation opportunity of enabling our digital society to be fully sustainable. Hence our vision: Racing to bring sustainable infrastructure to a global audience.

For more information, please visit www.bulkinfrastructure.com

About Arelion:

Arelion solves global connectivity challenges for multinational enterprises whose businesses rely on digital infrastructure. On top of the world’s #1 ranked IP backbone and a unique ecosystem of cloud and network service providers, Arelion provides an award-winning customer experience to customers in more than 125 countries worldwide. Arelion’s global Internet services connect more than 700 cloud, security and content providers with low latency. For further resilience, Arelion’s private Cloud Connect service connects directly to Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud and Oracle cloud across North America, Europe and Asia.

For more information, please visit www.arelion.com

About Relined Fiber Network:

Located in Vianen, Netherlands, Relined Fiber Network has been a pivotal force in digital connectivity across Northwest Europe for over 20 years. Specializing in leasing fiber optic capacity, we manage a high-quality and reliable network spanning approximately 50,000 km. We bridge private and public networks, ensuring stable, efficient, and sustainable digital infrastructure. Our approach maximizes the use of untapped fiber capacity, promoting both economic and environmental benefits.

Our strategic partnerships across public and private sectors underscore our role as an indispensable link in the digital infrastructure landscape, continually evolving to meet future challenges.

With an offshore network between Denmark and the Netherlands, Relined provides connectivity to the Nordic countries.

For more information, please visit www.relined.eu

About EWE TEL GmbH:

EWE TEL GmbH is a German telecommunications and IT company based in Oldenburg, Lower Saxony. The company was founded in 1999 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of EWE AG and offers a wide range of telecommunications and IT services for companies, institutions and private customers. These include fixed network and mobile services, internet and data services as well as IT and security solutions. The company also offers secure enterprise services for voice and data services specifically for business customers. The company attaches particular importance to the high quality and availability of its services. EWE operates its own fibre-optic network with a length of more than 40,000 kilometres, making it one of the largest network operators in northern Germany. The company also operates its own data centres and provides its customers with a high-performance infrastructure. With innovative solutions and extensive expertise in the telecommunications and IT sector, EWE TEL is a reliable partner for companies of all sizes and in all sectors.

About QTS Realty Trust, Inc.:

QTS Realty Trust, LLC is a leading provider of data center solutions across a diverse footprint with over two gigawatts of critical power capacity under customer contract in North America and Europe. Through its software-defined technology platform, QTS delivers secure, compliant infrastructure solutions, robust connectivity and premium customer service to leading hyperscale technology companies, enterprises, and government entities. QTS is a Blackstone portfolio company.

For more information, please visit www.qtsdatacenters.com or follow on X, formerly Twitter, @DataCenters_QTS.

About Eurofiber:

Eurofiber is a provider of industry-leading open digital infrastructure in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany. Utilizing our 70,500 km fiberoptic network and ten datacenters, we empower the digital societies of the countries in which we operate. Our customer base consists of companies, government bodies and non-profit organizations. We provide them with cloud infra and connectivity solutions tailored to their needs; our open infrastructure ensures them complete freedom to choose services, applications and providers.

For more information, please visit www.eurofiber.com

About Colt Technology Services:

Colt Technology Services (Colt) is a global digital infrastructure company which creates extraordinary connections to help businesses succeed. Powered by amazing people and like-minded partners, Colt is driven by its purpose: to put the power of the digital universe in the hands of its customers, wherever, whenever and however they choose.

Since 1992, Colt has set itself apart through its deep commitment to its customers, growing from its heritage in the City of London to a global business spanning 40+ countries, with over 6,000 employees and more than 80 offices around the world. Colt’s customers benefit from expansive digital infrastructure connecting 32,000 buildings across 230 cities, more than 50 Metropolitan Area Networks and 250+ Points of Presence across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and North America’s largest business hubs.

Privately owned, Colt is one of the most financially sound companies in the sector. Obsessed with delivering industry-leading customer experience, Colt is guided by its dedication to customer innovation, by its values and its responsibility to its customers, partners, people and the planet.

For more information, please visit www.colt.net