Fibernet wins £4m Contract

for SDH Services

 

I successfully closed and managed a contract for the provision of an advanced 622Mb SDH network between Rugby and various Telehouse points in London.

Satellite Media Services (SMS), supplier of Internet backbone connectivity via satellite, selected Fibernet to boost its terrestrial SDH links to 622-Mbits/sec from 155-Mbits/sec, with GBP4 mil investment.

 

Fibernet - The Story

 

Fibernet were asked to look at a 622Mb SDH connection between the SMS offices in Rugby and a number of Telehouse locations in London. The goal being to supply high speed, highly resilient ATM and IP solutions over an SDH network.

 

The Rugby Teleport was originally built in late 1996. No expense was spared to construct the finest facility of its kind at the time. Careful consideration was given to antenna placement, control centre facilities, operations space and offices, all enclosed in a beautifully landscaped, country-like compound including made-man lake.

 

In 2006, the complex was acquired by an international group of satellite communications professionals dedicated to  completely refurbishing and upgrading the teleport in order to meet the needs of its customers today… and in the future.

 

SDH Explained

SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy) is a standard for telecommunications transport formulated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
 

SDH was first introduced into the telecommunications network in 1992 and has been deployed at rapid rates since then. It's deployed at all levels of the network infrastructure, including the access network and the long-distance trunk network. It's based on overlaying a synchronous multiplexed signal onto a light stream transmitted over fibre-optic cable.

The increased configuration flexibility and bandwidth availability of SDH provides significant advantages over the older telecommunications system. These advantages include:

 

• A reduction in the amount of equipment and an increase in network reliability.

• The provision of overhead and payload bytes - the overhead bytes permitting management of the payload bytes on an individual basis and facilitating centralised fault sectionalisation.

• The definition of a synchronous multiplexing format for carrying lower-level digital signals (such as 2 Mbit/s, 34 Mbit/s, 140 Mbit/s) which greatly simplifies the interface to digital switches, digital cross-connects, and add-drop multiplexers.

• The availability of a set of generic standards, which enable multi-vendor interoperability.

• The definition of a flexible architecture capable of accommodating future applications, with a variety of transmission rates.

 

In brief, SDH defines synchronous transport modules (STMs) for the fibre-optic based transmission hierarchy.

 

The History of Fibernet

 

Fibernet specialised in delivering bespoke network services to large organisations and other service providers in the UK and Germany.

 

Fibernet designed, installed and managed network services that helped customers become more profitable by having a more efficient network structure. Fibernet operated its own state-of-the-art fibre-optic network and deployed the latest technology to provide customers with the highest level of performance, security and reliability.

 

Using the technical skills acquired in over 18 years of experience, Fibernet built long-term relationships with customers and provided them with the highest quality of service.

 

Fibernet was founded in 1986 as a network systems integrator, designing, installing and managing the networks of large organisations within their corporate offices. With the advent of deregulation of the telecommunications industry, Fibernet applied for a telecommunications licence, raised funds by floating the company on the stock market, built a national fibre optic network and made the logical progression of providing bespoke, high-speed network services between company buildings, as well as within them.

 

1986 Fibernet founded as a systems integrator, providing Local Area Network (LAN)

         solutions

 

1995 Fibernet granted Public Telecommunications Licence (PTO)

 

1996 Fibernet listed on AIM, raising £10m of funding towards construction of its

         national fibre-optic network, TANet

 

1998 Fibernet moved up to the full list of the London Stock Exchange

 

1999 Launch of London metropolitan network, including London Carrier Ring

 

2001 Launch of Frankfurt, metropolitan network, including Frankfurt Carrier Ring

 

2001 UK SDSL services launched

 

2002 Fibernet awarded Voice and Data Service Provider of the year for

         second consecutive year

 

2003 Second generation Ethernet, Callchoice and National Carrier Ring services          

         launched; Cisco Advance Technology Partner accreditation

 

2004 Winner of Best Carrier at the UK Internet Service Provider Awards and

         European Ethernet Service Provider of the Year at the Metro Ethernet Forum

 

2006 Acquired by Global Crossing Ltd. for £48.9m British pounds

 

ACQUISITION:

 

On 25 August 2006, Global Crossing Limited announced that its subsidiary, GC Acquisitions UK Limited had made a cash offer to acquire all of the issued and to-be-issued shares of Fibernet Group Plc.

 

On 11 October 2006, Global Crossing Limited announced that its subsidiary, GC Acquisitions UK Limited had formally acquired Fibernet Group Plc. GC Acquisitions UK will pay Fibernet shareholders 78 pence (approximately $1.48) per share, for a total equity value of approximately 49.8 million British pounds sterling ($94.6 million). The offer was declared unconditional in all respects.