Eurofiber increases network capacity with Nokia

"Our goal is to implement the new DWDM technology for an even better network," says Erwin Henderickx, Program Manager at Eurofiber. "DWDM stands for 'Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing.' Lasers provide multiple wavelengths in a single fiber optic, allowing us to scale the capacity from 10 to 400 Gigabits per second. We have selected Nokia to realize this optical network. The current focus is on Belgium, where our network covers the majority of the country and connects the key industrial areas. We have already doubled this capacity between Antwerp, Brussels, and Charleroi."

Phased Rollout

Since the partnership with Nokia was established at the end of 2022, preparations have rapidly commenced. The first network ring between Brussels-South, Charleroi, Mons, Estaimpuis, and Kortrijk is operational, as well as between Brussels-South, Diegem, Leuven, Hasselt, Liège, Ghent, Antwerp, Mol, and Mechelen. Further expansion to Luxembourg is planned for 2024. Nokia provides the equipment and oversees the installation and implementation of laser technology.

"The new DWDM network is phased in addition to the existing data transport in our current fiber optic network," Erwin continues. "We are also creating aggregation rings for data traffic around cities. This allows us to connect multiple customers to our new optical highway, enabling them to benefit from that large capacity and high speed. The first active ring is located in Liège, followed by rings in Mons, Kortrijk, Arlon, Namur, and Charleroi."

Services for existing customers will be gradually migrated to the new technology starting in 2024.

Customized Solutions

With Nokia's new DWDM technology, Eurofiber can offer its existing and new customers a fast network with much larger capacity. This is increasingly needed due to the transition to the cloud and the growing amount of data in data centers. "We offer customers exactly the connection they need," Erwin explains. "We can connect them via the aggregation ring or directly to our main network. We also have our MPLS network with routing technology to send data traffic over the most efficient route. It's tailored to each customer, taking into account the migration without or with minimal disruption to ongoing data traffic."

Reliable and Fast

The coverage of the new Nokia network in Belgium is quite comprehensive with multiple main and aggregation rings. Together with Nokia, Eurofiber has set up its own Network Monitoring Center to provide customers with 24/7 service on the new DWDM network. Customers can rely on their data traffic to run quickly and reliably on the new network, without delays.

"The demand for larger bandwidths is still increasing, and with DWDM technology, we can scale up to 600 Gigabits per second in the near future. What remains unchanged is that with our own fiber optic network, we establish a private connection for customers between locations and data centers. It can't get any safer."

Smart Planning

For the rollout, Eurofiber must perform work at various locations to deploy the new technology. "To prevent delays, we always prepare a number of locations. We can switch between them to keep up the pace. Furthermore, we have standardized our activities as much as possible to work efficiently and better over time. Of course, there are challenges, but when you see everyone putting in the effort, it brings a lot of job satisfaction. Together, we achieve beautiful results. In a short time, we will have an excellent network ready for our customers' crucial data traffic."

Your Benefits

• Large capacity for crucial data traffic
• Fast data transport with minimal delay (low latency)
• Reliable data transport via the own fiber optic network