TeliaSonera to provide optical network for Facebook in Europe

TeliaSonera International Carrier, a subsidiary of Swedish telecoms operator TeliaSonera, says it will build and operate a new pan-European managed optical network for social networking giant Facebook.

The next-generation multi-terabit optical network will provide Facebook with connectivity between Internet exchange points in multiple European cities and their newest data center on the edge of the Arctic Circle in Luleå, Sweden. The data center is expected to start operating in 2013.

Implemented over TeliaSonera International Carrier’s fiber-optic infrastructure, Facebook’s managed optical network will scale up to several terabits of capacity.

Claiming to have one of the world’s largest fiber backbones, TeliaSonera International Carrier says it has the experience and expertise to provide network infrastructure and services on the massive scale demanded by a company the size of Facebook.

Management of Facebook’s network will be performed by TeliaSonera International Carrier’s network operation center in Karlstad, Sweden.

Erik Hallberg, president of TeliaSonera International Carrier said, “Our vision is to enable innovation throughout society at the speed of fiber. It is extremely pleasing to have been selected to both build and operate such a critical part of Facebook’s network infrastructure.”

Facebook is expected to pass over 1 billion active users during 2012.