EXA Infrastructure (I Squared Capital) and Milan-based Ultranet (Hgm) join forces for a new Genoa-Milan fibre-optic route

A completely diversified and high-performance optical fiber route of approximately 175 kilometers, aimed at further strengthening connectivity between Milan, Italy's main technological hub, and Genoa, an increasingly strategic landing point for submarine cables (see the Submarine Cable Map here). It will be implemented by EXA Infrastructure, a platform controlled by I Squared Capital, managing 155,000 km of digital infrastructure across 37 countries, including 20 cable landing stations that provide critical connectivity for submarine systems, and the Milan-based company Ultranet srl, controlled by HGM spa, one of Italy’s main telecom services operators, owned by the Sangiovanni family (see the press release here).

The project, the subject of the agreement between EXA and Ultranet, also includes the extension of EXA's metropolitan network in Genoa to connect all existing cable landing stations (CLS), namely the open landing station of Genoa Lagaccio, an interconnection point with other submarine cables and national and continental terrestrial networks, and Equinix GN1, a digital hub serving as a strategic interconnection point for the 2Africa submarine cable system, which will be the world’s longest submarine cable at 45,000 km, connecting 46 cable landing stations in 33 countries. Once completed, EXA will offer an open landing platform for submarine cables and five distinct routes from Genoa, ensuring connectivity from the Genoa CLS Lagaccio and Equinix GN1.

Exa Infrastructure is the largest dedicated digital infrastructure platform across Europe, connecting North America and Asia through the Middle East. With over 20 years of experience in building resilient networks, it creates mission-critical networks for governments and businesses, hyperscale infrastructure for companies, and ultra-low latency and high-bandwidth networks for financial services, gaming, and broadcast. Headquartered in London, it owns 155,000 kilometers of fiber network in 37 countries, including six transatlantic cables between Europe and North America.

As for Ultranet, specializing in offering next-generation fiber optic infrastructure and PoP hosting, it is a wholesale operator focused on industrial districts, aiming to provide P2P connectivity to over 150,000 businesses, complemented by cybersecurity, IoT, and Virtual/Edge data center services. Founded in the early 2000s, the company currently has a 12,000-kilometer-owned fiber infrastructure and over 700 points of presence (PoP) in 19 regions across Italy, closing 2023 with 2 million euros in revenue and a negative EBITDA of 2.5 million (see the Leanus report here after free registration).

Steve Roberts, SVP Network Investments and Products at EXA Infrastructure, commented: "This initiative aligns with EXA Infrastructure's commitment to enhancing network resilience and expanding data transmission capacity, supported by its vast experience in submarine and landing infrastructure. The partnership with Ultranet, a company with proven experience in complex infrastructure projects, is a key component of this strategy."

Claudio Centofanti, Chief Commercial Officer of HGM, added: "Most of the internet data traffic passes through submarine cables, which are becoming an increasingly key success factor. Telecommunications operators will need an even greater number of technologies and infrastructures, such as dedicated P2P links to major data centers, edge data centers, and virtual data centers. By signing this agreement, Exa Infrastructure becomes a strategic partner for the HGM Group. The Ultranet-Exa agreement constitutes a high-level industrial partnership and paves the way for future growth and innovation for both companies."

Source: bebeez.it