From Telecoms Europe Events: https://www.telecomseuropeevents.com/
From Telecoms Europe Events: https://www.telecomseuropeevents.com/
From Telecoms Europe Events: https://www.telecomseuropeevents.com/
From Telecoms Europe Events: https://www.telecomseuropeevents.com/
From Telecoms Europe Events: https://www.telecomseuropeevents.com/
From Telecoms Europe Events: https://www.telecomseuropeevents.com/
From Telecoms Europe Events: https://www.telecomseuropeevents.com/
From Telecoms Europe Events: https://www.telecomseuropeevents.com/
Fibre to the home rollouts suffer from complex processes, have embedded inefficiencies and can be prone to errors. Specialises in turnkey FTTH, Fibre Experts Deutschland (FED) has teamed up with fibre engineering planning and construction company Netzkontor Nord to launch “inseyet”, a 360-degree monitoring system enables complete, seamless real-time oversight of the entire fibre optic deployment process. The system enables a fully digital record of the entire fibre rollout.
The system provides network operators and construction partners with a real-time, comprehensive overview of FTTH project progress, including the number of metres of trenches laid and customer connections completed. A key feature is the precise 3D measurement of open trenches using smartphones and GPS rovers. The depth of each trench section, the placement of cables and marker balls and numerous other data points are automatically transmitted to the system, consolidated and verified. This creates a digital twin of the construction project – exactly as it was implemented in reality.
“With ‘inseyet’, we are delivering a fully integrated solution for the entire FTTH rollout process for the first time,” said Fiber Experts managing director Raimund Winkler. “Network operators and construction partners can monitor project progress live and respond to potential issues early. This enhances transparency and efficiency.”
In future, an AI-integrated version of “inseyet” will help detect potential construction site errors at an early stage. It will be able to identify issues such as insufficient trench depth, incorrectly placed marker balls, or overly tight bending radii. The AI will immediately notify construction partners, allowing corrections to be made while the trench is still open. This prevents costly rework and unnecessary delays. The system also automates the documentation of construction progress and facilitates accurate billing processes, enhancing overall project efficiency.
“The integration of artificial intelligence is a milestone for us,” said Netzkontor Nord managing director Dennis Ritter. “Detecting and correcting errors early not only saves time and money but also significantly improves the quality of fibre deployment. Both network operators and construction partners benefit from this.”
Home-grown innovation
Both companies involved in the system have used their experience to ensure the system is robust. To execute its projects, Fiber Experts relies on its own civil engineering capacities as well as a broad network of selected construction partners. The company’s expertise covers the entire FTTH project lifecycle, from planning and design to the installation of fibre connections within homes.
Since FED was founded in June 2021, the Düsseldorf-based company has focused on the expansion of broadband networks in the telecommunications market and offers customised turnkey solutions in the field of fiber optics, area analysis, network planning and implementation throughout Germany. In 2023 the company acquired competitor Eschborn-based Elecnet to expand its base. Netzkontor Nord made a similar move in September last year acquiring Bib Tech a company known for its expertise in broadband network planning and coordination.
The Iliad Group and InfraVia have closed the transaction aimed at developing OpCore into a major European hyperscale data center platform, first announced on 4 December. As a result of the deal, Iliad is selling a 50% stake in OpCore, its data center subsidiary to InfraVia. The strategic partnership is aimed at developing OpCore into a major independent European hyperscale data center platform. OpCore is valued at an enterprise value of €860 million.
OpCore has a 20-year history of operating data centres to meet the needs of the Iliad Group, hyperscalers, techcos and large corporations. It has data centres in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Poland. Through this partnership, Iliad and InfraVia have provided OpCore with the financial structure it needs to capitalise on the booming European hyperscale data market, by developing new 100 MW+ data centres in France and Europe with several construction projects already underway.
“Together with our partner, InfraVia, we’re looking forward to supporting OpCore’s teams in this ambitious new chapter of the company’s development,” said Iliad CEO Thomas Reynaud (above). “Europe needs independent data centre platforms more than ever before as these infrastructures, dedicated to storing and processing vast amounts of data, are essential enablers for a thriving ‘made in Europe’ AI ecosystem.”
“We’re determined to invest massively alongside the Iliad Group to turn OpCore into a European leader in hyperscale data centres,” InfraVia chief executive officer Vincent Levita. “Achieving this goal means investing at an unprecedented scale to meet the exponential market demand and help shape a robust and sovereign European digital ecosystem.”
The proposed partnership is intended to give OpCore the “right financial structure” with dedicated financing that will cover up to 75% of the required investment in OpCore with bank debt. It would enable OpCore to scale to more than 130 MW by developing a data centre in the Paris region of about 100MW, and then to multiple hundreds of megawatts in Europe.
The plan is that OpCore and the Iliad Group remain close partners, working together rapidly to expand Scaleway, Iliad Group’s cloud subsidiary, and OpCore itself. Scaleway will retain its status as a privileged client of OpCore.
Pardieu Brocas Maffei has advised InfraVia on the negotiation and drafting of the Master Services Agreement as well as on the real estate aspects of the transaction. InfraVia was also assisted by the investment banking firm Perella Weinberg Partners with Gilles Tré-Hardy. The EU nodded through the deal on 21 February.
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