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POSEIDON: The submarine fiber optic cable system, commissioned to serve the offshore oil and gas industry in the Eastern Mediterranean
By Andreas Ioannou, Head of International Networks Promotion, Cytaglobal
Taking advantage of the island’s strategic geographical position, Cytaglobal has developed an extensive undersea fibre optic cable network, which connects Cyprus with the neighbouring countries of Greece, Italy, Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt and thereafter with the rest of the world. This cable network uses state-of-the-art technology and full restoration and diversity and currently includes CIOS, CADMOS, UGARIT, SEA-ME-WE 3, LEV, MINERVA, ALEXANDROS and ATHENA undersea fibre optic systems that land in Cyprus at three separate cable stations, namely Ayia Napa, Pentaskhinos and Yeroskipos. Moreover, Cytaglobal is in the process of establishing two new regional undersea cable systems, ALASIA and EUROPA that will connect Cyprus with Syria and Lebanon, respectively. Two high capacity coastal links TEFKROS and KINYRAS, interconnect all Cyta’s landing stations in Cyprus, thereby securing all-wet routes for regional and international traffic. Recently, Cytaglobal has reached an agreement with Radius Oceanic Communications Inc. to implement a new and important project for Cyprus, the POSEIDON Andreas Ioannou, undersea cable system that aims to provide advanced Head of International Networks Promotion, Cytaglobal telecommunications facilities to the offshore oil and gas industry in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Radius is a yprus Telecommunications Authority (Cyta) is US communications provider formed to offer broadband the primary telecommunications provider in communications to the offshore oil and gas industry CCyprus. Its product portfolio covers the whole worldwide. spectrum of electronic communications ranging from On April the 2nd 2014, Cytaglobal and Radius announced fixed and mobile telephony to internet service provision the completion of testing and commissioning of POSEIDON. and broadband applications. Cyta, through its strategic This involved the completion of work to establish dual business unit Cytaglobal, is particularly active in the area landing facilities in Cyprus, and to implement high- of international undersea fibre optic cables, providing bandwidth end-to-end connectivity from Cyprus to the wholesale products and services on a global basis, and has US. The commissioning of the POSEIDON system provides established Cyprus as a regional telecommunications hub unprecedented opportunities to the developing oil and gas
in the Eastern Mediterranean. industry in the region. For the first time, companies can now t
32 InterComms www.intercomms.net t January 2014. Radius OceanicCommunications,Inc, Cyta’sHeadOffice,Nicosia,Cyprus, Left: MrChristosPatsalides,Chairman, Cyta;rightMrJimByous,President, near real-timebasis. hydrographic andseismicdatatoallinterestedpartiesona use POSEIDONtomoreefficientlyofferoceanographic, migrating scientifictraffictoPOSEIDONinApril.CSnetwill fiber systemintothePOSEIDONnetwork,andwillbegin Offshore CommunicationsBackbone(OCB)scientific POSEIDON system,contributedbyintegratingitsexisting available andcanbeeasilyextendedtotheirplatforms. with thecertaintythatbenefitsoffiberopticcapacityare create theirdevelopmentplansfordeepwaterproduction communities.” in theprovisionofstrategicservicestooilandgas mature, meetsCyta’sobjectiveofbeingaregionalleader Eastern Mediterraneandeepwaterdevelopmentsasthey network intoservice.Thisnetwork,whichwillsupportthe been pleasedtoworkwithRadiusbringthePOSEIDON Κey POSEIDONNetworkFactsandBenefits: CSnet International,Inc.,astheinitialtenanton • • • • Cyta’s CEO,DrAristosRiris,saysofPOSEIDON,“Wehave The Secure, The The support. global capacityand24x7networkmonitoring capacity managedbroadbandservices,end-to-end surrounding operations. the backboneforadditionalservicesnecessary extended toandbetweenplatforms,canprovide requirements areexpanded. are openedoutsideCypriotwatersandascustomer and alternatelandingsasnewareasfordevelopment branch system,enablingadditionalfiberextensions development bytheRepublicofCyprus. the offshoreoilandgasleaseblocksestablishedfor ring thatborderstheCypriotEEZ,andenveloping from twoshorelandingsinCyprus,creatingafiber
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www.cytaglobal.com www.cyta.com.cy For moreinformationpleasevisit: a regionalelectroniccommunicationscentreofexcellence. telecommunications hubintheEasternMediterraneanand POSEIDON emphasizetheimportanceofCyprusasamajor through Cyta’stelecommunicationshub.Projectslike production andsupportfacilitiestoreachtheworld, partnership withRadiuswillallowoffshoreexploration, sector intheEasternMediterraneanregion.Cytaglobal’s telecommunications facilitiestothedevelopingenergy play animportantroleinprovidingstate-of-the-art capabilities willbringtodeepwateroperatorsintheregion.” benefit greatlyandweareexcitedaboutthebenefitsthese Planning, monitoring,andexplorationfunctionswill into operationinadvanceoffulloilandgasproduction. first, bringingawidelyaccessiblesubmarinefibernetwork Radius, CytaandCSnetteamshaveachievedanindustry collaborative planningandimplementationeffortsofthe environment,” JimByous,PresidentofRadius,states.“The optic capabilitiesthroughoutthishighlycriticaloilandgas is realized,thatofprovidingsecure,highbandwidth,fiber POSEIDON willenableCytaglobalandRadius,to “With thePOSEIDONsystemnowlive,astrategicgoal www.intercomms.net InterComms CARRIER SERVICES
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