In a significant development for global scientific collaboration, Aqua Comms has entered into a landmark agreement with the Energy Sciences Network (ESnet), granting a 15-year lease for a portion of its subsea cable spectrum that spans from New York to Dublin and London. This arrangement, covering 25% of a fiber pair, represents ESnet’s inaugural venture into Trans-Atlantic spectrum acquisition, underscoring its commitment to bolstering the data transmission capabilities essential for cutting-edge scientific research.
ESnet, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science and operated by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, is instrumental in facilitating data flow among a vast network of researchers, laboratories, and computing facilities across the globe. By securing a dedicated 5 Tbps channel, ESnet aims to significantly enhance its capacity to handle the surging data volumes generated by major scientific projects, such as the forthcoming high luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.
Inder Monga, ESnet’s Executive Director, emphasized the critical need for robust and reliable data transport mechanisms in the era of exascale computing, where research endeavors generate unprecedented amounts of data. This new spectrum lease is a strategic move to ensure that the scientific community remains well-connected and capable of sharing and analyzing data with efficiency and speed.
Aqua Comms CEO Jim Fagan highlighted the advantages of subsea spectrum leasing, noting its cost-effectiveness and scalability compared to traditional dark fibre solutions. Fagan assured that Aqua Comms’ expertise and advanced subsea engineering services would provide ESnet with a high-capacity, efficient networking solution tailored to the long-term needs of the scientific research community.
The partnership leverages Ciena’s GeoMesh Extreme technology, featuring WaveLogic 5 Extreme coherent optics and sophisticated software tools for network management, to deliver a high-bandwidth, intelligently optimized, and reliable subsea connectivity solution. Thomas Soerensen, a senior executive at Ciena, lauded the initiative as a response to the escalating bandwidth requirements of global operators, showcasing the role of subsea spectrum in bridging continents and fulfilling the complex demands of modern science.
