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."