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Optical systems developer ECI has signed a contract to provide the optical transport layer of the SURFnet network, supporting the national research and education community in the Netherlands.

The next generation of the SURFnet network, SURFnet8, will feature ECI’s Apollo high-speed optical transport platform coupled with a 100G blade and new collector reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers (ROADMs). SURFnet will migrate to the new ECI solution in 2017.

Cable operator Altice USA has decided to skip over DOCSIS 3.1 upgrades and invest in a full fibre to the home (FTTH) deployment across its entire network footprint, in a project that is expected to be complete within five years.

The fourth largest cable company in the US following its acquisitions of Suddenlink and Cablevision, Altice USA is also the first major cable provider in the country to announce a large-scale fibre deployment plan.

Viavi Solutions has announced that Openreach, BT’s local network business, has selected the OneExpert 580 xDSL field tester to support its G.fast pilot that will see ultrafast speeds provided to around 140,000 premises by March 2017.

Alternative network operator CityFibre plans to roll out fibre network in more than 500 business parks in the UK – addressing a gap in the broadband market that has not been satisfied by the incumbent, the company says.

More than 22,000 small and medium businesses could benefit from low-cost access to gigabit-speed internet services delivered over the new infrastructure in or near CityFibre’s existing networks. An entry level, ultra-fast, symmetrical service will be available at an expected retail price of £120 per month.

Telefónica is preparing to upgrade its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network with next-generation passive optical network (PON) technology. To this end, the company has successfully tested Nokia's XGS-PON equipment in its labs.

Delivering speeds of 10Gb/s both downstream and upstream, XGS-PON provides a simple upgrade path from the current GPON technology deployed by Telefonica. The use of XGS-PON will allow Telefonica to quickly deliver new gigabit services to customers using existing GPON platforms and technology.

A ship dragging its anchor in the English Channel has cut three out of the four undersea cables connecting to the island of Jersey.

Communications services for residents may be slow as all traffic from Jersey is now being routed via France, through an unaffected submarine cable that lies on the other side of the island.

Telia Carrier has improved its network connectivity in Central Eastern Europe: this week it added a new point of presence in Zagreb, Croatia, while earlier in the month it completed the Frankfurt-Warsaw Express, a direct route from Frankfurt, Germany to Warsaw, Poland.

Openreach, BT’s local network business, has announced that it will more than double the speeds available over its fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) network, boosting the maximum download speeds available from 330Mb/s to one 1Gb/s.

The new faster services will be available to homes and businesses across the entire FTTP footprint. The company’s wholesale FTTP network currently passes more than 327,000 homes and businesses, which is on track to double in size over the next 12 months and reach up to two million premises by the end of 2020, according to BT.

Submarine cable specialist TE Subcom has been named the system supply and installation partner for the new MAREA submarine cable system across the Atlantic Ocean.

Announced by Facebook and Microsoft in May 2016, MAREA will be the highest-capacity subsea cable to ever cross the Atlantic – featuring eight fibre-pairs and an initial estimated design capacity of 160Tb/s.

Calix will collaborate with innovative Armenian communications service provider Ucom to bring the benefits of NG-PON2 across the country to deliver an unmatched broadband experience to the company’s wireline and mobile subscribers.

With initial trials scheduled for early 2017, Ucom is planning to roll out new 10Gb/s business and mobile backhaul services, as well as to converge its residential and business networks onto a single infrastructure, in order to simplify operations.