The two companies, which have extensive fiber optics in Europe, have joined forces to upgrade the high-profile route inside the English Channel Tunnel. A year and a half ago, Colt won a 25-year agreement to operate the infrastructure inside the tunnel, and EXA's participation will help them further profit from that agreement.
The infrastructure is the only dry road linking the UK to mainland Europe, crossing the English Channel on the road between London and Paris. EXA says the upgrade will add 288 G.652D fiber optic cables over a 66-kilometer span. Both EXA and Colt are upgrading their infrastructure on both sides to match the newer fiber and provide homogeneous next-generation capabilities between the two key data center markets.
This is the second major investment EXA has made between London and Paris in the past year. They are also a major player in Crosslake's new undersea route, which opened about a year ago. The Channel Tunnel was completed in 1994 and the fiber that runs through it is 25 years old. Now that we're in the age of hyperscale and the amount of fiber is once again important, the time has definitely come to upgrade.
