Optical fibre networks are the future of worldwide data communications because they offer the robustness and incredible speeds necessary for on-demand IT. International data centre provider Digital Realty is embracing fibre technology as evidenced by a recent deal that connects them to Vtesse Networks in London. Both companies recently made the announcement of the agreement public after Digital Realty determined Vtesse's technology provided the most cost effective solution enabling the company to get connected to the London-area high-performance network. As a result, Vtesse will be providing high-bandwidth connections for Digital Realty data centres in both Chessington and Redhill, Surrey, England. Connecting to the network through Vtesse is a coup for Digital Realty given the fact they just recently built their 131,771-ft.² Chessington facility, which sits just 17 miles south west of the city centre. Diverse fibre routes were directed to both data centre locations in order to provide Digital Realty the full benefit of Vtesse's network infrastructure. In addition to the high-performance network, Digital Realty will also be connected to Vtesse's Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer (ROADM), setting the stage for further expansion into consumption-based IT services. Customers currently purchasing their hosting through Digital Realty will immediately start seeing benefits. The Vtesse connection gives them high-performance access to more than 50 data centres also connected throughout the London area. Some of Digital Realty's other London area sites are not yet hooked into the Vtesse optical fibre network. However, the scalability of the network will allow them to be added when the company deems it necessary. As Digital Realty expands their share of the cloud market, it is expected that they will be adding the other data centres.

The Importance of Data Communications on Fibre Networks

The deal between Vtesse and Digital Realty underscores how data centre interconnectivity is evolving in the UK. As a world leader in the data communications and IT services, the industry in the UK is forging ahead into the future. Optical fibre networks are just one indication of where things are heading. The need for such high-performance and fast networks is being driven by the explosion of mobile devices based on consumption. Every year millions of new devices are added to the worldwide community via mobile phones, tablets, and game consoles. Not only that, Web developers are heavily focused on media consumption, especially in the areas of music, video, online gaming, and Internet-based television. Without fibre technology, data centre providers most certainly would not be able to keep up with a consumption-driven Internet. However, with this technology in place companies like Digital Realty are poised to grab a bigger slice of the data centre pie. In the meantime, Vtesse Networks will be looking to expand their network while connecting their own data centres with as many others as they can.