United Group selects Ekinops for Croatian fiber-optic network

June 21, 2021

The project is part of United Group’s fiber expansion efforts for which it plans to spend more than 500 million euros over the next five years.

Stephen Hardy

Ekinops (Euronext Paris: FR0011466069) (Euronext: EKI) says it has won an award from United Group to supply DWDM systems for United’s Croatian subsidiary, Telemach Hrvastska in Croatia. The project is part of United Group’s fiber expansion efforts for which it plans to spend more than 500 million euros over the next five years.

"United Group is committed to empower Croatia and Southeast Europe with innovative and futureproof connectivity solutions across mobile and fixed services," commented Željko Batistić, vice president technology at Netherlands-based United Group, which operates such brands as Vivacom, SBB, and Nova in addition to Telemach Hrvastska. "Central to this is a fiber-optic network that's both robust and flexible enough to meet the needs of subscribers today and as demands evolve. Having worked with Ekinops previously across other affiliates, we're delighted that its strong technical expertise and collaborative approach have once again delivered a solution that strikes a compelling balance between cost, quality of service and speed."

Ekinops will supply its 200G and 400G single-carrier FlexRate technology in combination with its flex-grid ROADMs. United Group and Telemach Hrvatska also will employ the Ekinops Celestis NMS. With the technology combination, Telemach Hrvatska will be able to upgrade its networks easily and quickly just by adding new circuits to the main hub locations. The service provider also will be able to use the same WDM platform for urban and regional long-haul requirements.

"United Group's commitment to enhancing Croatia and the Adriatic's connectivity is invaluable to the region's digital transformation," stated Frank Dedobbeleer, group vice president sales EMEA & APAC at Ekinops. "This project is a testament to Ekinops' partnership-driven approach when scoping and developing network solutions. We are glad to be delivering another innovative optical fiber network solution for United Group. By moving to 200-Gbps and 400-Gbps channel services, United Group will be able to activate bandwidth-intense and delay-sensitive applications in the upcoming 5G era."

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About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave

Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.

Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.

He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.