Interoute Communications Ltd, owner operator of Europe’s largest next-generation network, has acquired KPN’s 3,600 dark fibre network to provide organisations with network diversity into the main commercial hubs of Berlin, Munich and Hamburg, as well as six additional cities including, Dusseldorf, Cologne-Bonn, Frankfurt and Stuttgart, Karlsruhe and Kehl.
By combining KPN’s network with Europe's most advanced and densely connected voice and data network, Interoute is adding more resilience, diversity and density into the heart of its West European fibre network. The deal allows KPN to focus on providing managed and value-added services to its customers in Germany, secure in the knowledge that it has a partner with the expertise to provide any dark fibre it may need now and in the future.
Gareth Williams, Interoute CEO, commented, “We are constantly looking at ways to enhance our network, extending its reach and technical prowess. By acquiring a network that takes a different path through Germany, we’ve not only added an extra layer of network resilience at a pivotal position within Europe, but we’ve doubled our network size in Germany. For organisations with dispersed offices across Europe, network diversity is essential to ensure that they have the flexibility to support their ever-changing network and business needs.”
The 3,600 kilometer dark fibre network comprises 2 ducts, 96 fibre pairs and 27 ILAs. As part of the deal, KPN will lease back 4 to 5 fibre pairs from Interoute to support KPN customers in Germany. In addition, Interoute will acquire KPN’s existing fibre customers.
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Interoute will optimise its existing and acquired network in Germany to gain operational efficiencies and performance benefits. Once the network optimisation work is complete, new more direct fibre routes will become available, bringing low latency benefits to enterprise and wholesale customers across Europe. At the same time, wholesale customers in Germany will gain access to Interoute’s services and expertise which they can use to support their network needs.
