Neos to supply new ‘dark fibre’ network for NI

The contract has been awarded by Jisc, which supplies digital network services to the research and third-level education sectors.

The network will aid educational and research establishments by providing high-capacity fibre connectivity, capable of achieving speeds up to 100Gbps, between Jisc resources and data centres in the UK, Northern Ireland and key partner networks in Dublin.

The contract was awarded to Neos following a competitive tender and represents another phase in the ongoing overhaul of Jisc’s Janet Network across 15 UK regions.

The Northern Ireland commission follows hot on the heels of Neos delivering a dark fibre network for Jisc across the North-West of England, which was announced in January 2022. The two contracts form part of an ongoing review and upgrading of the Janet Network, designed to boost the capacity, speed and efficiency of its regional centres.

The new gigabit-capable dark fibre network benefits from improved resilience thanks to two separate back-up routes to mainland UK via submarine cables to the company’s unbundled exchanges in Glasgow and Southport. Deployment of the new network is already underway as part of the initial seven-year contract.

Sarah Mills, MD wholesale and smart infrastructure at Neos Networks, said: “We are immensely proud of our 20-year relationship with Jisc. This latest contract win is another significant milestone. The new network will deliver operational efficiencies for Jisc and enable it to continue to improve the services it offers to its members in the education and research arena.”

Neil Shewry, deputy director, Network Delivery at Jisc, added: “We need to continually improve and enhance the connectivity options for the institutions we serve. This new network will give us the bandwidth, the capability and the reliability we need to deliver on that goal. This network will provide future-proof connectivity to Jisc’s members and help to meet increasing demand created by the ongoing shift to the hybrid learning environment.”

Neos Networks was formerly a division of the national energy provider SSE. It has built a strong reputation for its nationwide, high-capacity fibre network, and has focused solely on serving wholesalers, public sector organisations, and critical national infrastructure providers with essential, reliable, connectivity for more than 20 years.

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