1. Networks ∙ Services ∙ People www.geant.org Guy Roberts GÉANT Network Evolution – Sharing Fibre infrastructure March 8 th 2016 Senior Transport Network Architect, GÉANT GÉANT Symposium, Vienna

2. Networks ∙ Services ∙ People www.geant.org 2 Agenda Background Motivation – cost reduction Cross Border Fibre Alien waves & spectrum sharing GÉANT fibre post-2020 Next steps

3. Networks ∙ Services ∙ People www.geant.org 3 DANTE was founded in 1994 to operate an IP backbone to interconnect the NRENs The common infrastructure eliminated need for ad-hoc peering arrangements Initially connectivity build on leased circuits In 2006 DANTE (post dot.com bubble) lit our own dark fibre GÉANT now has 14,000km of dark fibre Usage has not met the NREN’s projections Infrastructure sharing Background

4. Networks ∙ Services ∙ People www.geant.org 4 14,000km of lit dark fibre €8M initial investment and then €2.5M per year.

5. Networks ∙ Services ∙ People www.geant.org 5 The key to reducing the cost of R&E networks is to achieve high levels of infrastructure utilization. A big part of the cost of transmission is fixed costs: fibre & common equipment. If we can increase the number of services the fixed costs per service drop. Utilization rates are low in some parts of network, in particular fibre through Spain and Croatia/Slovenia Need deep understanding of costs and innovate to extract value from this investment Increasing utilization is the key for both us and the NRENs Infrastructure sharing will get utilization levels up Infrastructure sharing Motivation

6. Networks ∙ Services ∙ People www.geant.org 6 CBF (Cross Border Fibre) is leased wavelengths built by NRENs and sold to GÉANT (or other NRENs). An agreement is in place that GÉANT can buy from NRENs if their services meets 3 tests: legal, quality and financial. GÉANT now procures the following CBF services from NRENs: Madrid-Lisbon provided by REDIRIS/FCCN London-Dublin provided by JISC Hamburg-Tallinn provided by NORDUnet Poznan-Kaunas provided by PSNC/LITNET CBF increases the utilization of NRENs infrastructure Infrastructure sharing Cross Border Fibre

7. Networks ∙ Services ∙ People www.geant.org Infrastructure sharing Alien waves and spectrum sharing Optical fiber Tx Rx Transmitters Receivers Combining and separating colors Providers: fibre, amplifiers and muxing Customers: transponders Amplifier Demarcation DWDM carries ~80 wavelengths on the 1525–1565 nm band split into 50GHz grids AW: one grid Spectrum sharing: multiple grids TeleGeography: “huge demand for alien waves from non-traditional operators” Customers: transponders

8. Networks ∙ Services ∙ People www.geant.org 8 Alien Spectrum Amsterdam – Hamburg fibre We had two parallel fibres between Amsterdam and Hamburg. Yellow fibre is Surfnet, Green is GÉANT. Duplication of infrastructure dilutes utilization. Objective 1: remove one system and share remaining fibre Objective 2: retain GMPLS control plane in GEANT Solution: alien spectrum Eliminating redundant fibre infrastructure

9. Networks ∙ Services ∙ People www.geant.org 9 The collaboration model agreed between SURFnet and GÉANT is for the fixed costs to be shared equally between each of the providers using the common fibre infrastructure. In the case of Amsterdam to Hamburg this is SURFnet, NORDUnet and GÉANT. In future this may also include PSNC. GÉANT’s fixed fibre costs are reduced by 2/3 compared to GÉANT only fibre. Solution also allows GÉANT to retain our GMPLS control plane for protection and rapid turn-up of new services. Alien Spectrum Economics of Ams-Ham

10. Networks ∙ Services ∙ People www.geant.org 10 Economics of alien waves Actual costs for Ams-Ham Annualized cost over 3 years in Euros AW brings savings cf. leased waves with only 2 x 100Gbps

11. Networks ∙ Services ∙ People www.geant.org 11 SA1: has identified possible ‘quick wins’ Slide: Alexander van der Hil GÉANT fibre leases end in 2020/21 – replacement planning starting now. In SGA1, SA1 identified routes that could benefit from infrastructure sharing: Milan – Geneva on GARR fibre Madrid – Lisbon on RENATER RedIRIS fibre Paris – Lisbon on RENATER, RedIRIS, FCCN, comm. fibre Marseille – Milan on RENATER, GARR, commercial fibre Marseille – Madrid on RENATER, RedIRIS commercial fibre Budapest – Zagreb on NIIF, commercial fibre In SGA2, JRA1 will work with local NRENs to design solutions. Commercial options will also be evaluated.

12. Networks ∙ Services ∙ People www.geant.org 12 Summary CBF improves utilization of NRENs fibre assets CBF usage by GÉANT has been formalized and usage is picking up Spectrum sharing improves utilization of all participants’ fibre assets Amsterdam-Hamburg showed that spectrum sharing works In JRA1 SGA2 GÉANT will work closely with NRENs to deliver more infrastructure sharing

13. Networks ∙ Services ∙ People www.geant.org Thank you Networks ∙ Services ∙ People www.geant.org This work is part of a project that has applied for funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 691567 (GN4-1). 13 Guy.Roberts@geant.org Any Questions?