Ekinops selected by United Group to build next-gen Optical Transport Network in Croatia

Dutch-based United Group is the leading provider of telecommunications services and media in Southeast Europe. The company – whose telecommunications brands include Telemach, Vivacom, SBB, and Nova – expects to invest more than EUR 500 million over the next five years to extend its optical fiber networks into new areas and upgrade existing ones.

“United Group is committed to empower Croatia and Southeast Europe with innovative and futureproof connectivity solutions across mobile and fixed services,” says Željko Batistić, Vice President Technology, United Group. “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’ 200G and 400G FlexRate™ single carrier solutions are being combined with its Flex Grid ROADM architecture to enable the long-term flexibility needed across both the regional and core networks. With the proposed architecture, including the Ekinops advanced software control and creation mechanisms of Celestis NMS, United Group and Telemach Hrvatska can upgrade networks easily and quickly by simply adding new circuits to the main hub locations. A single WDM platform offers a coherent solution for urban and regional long-haul networks, accommodating unpredictable bandwidth demands in densely populated areas, as well as interconnecting with other United Group hubs. The compact and power-efficient solution gives a further boost to cost effectiveness.  

“Ekinops is the technology enabler we were looking for to support our plans for Croatia. This project will be invaluable in futureproofing our mobile and fixed networks to deliver at 5G quality and speed both our domestic and commercial subscribers demand,” says Željko Batistić. “We look forward to working closely with Ekinops to build a next-generation optical transport network that allows us to face the future with confidence.”

“United Group’s commitment to enhancing Croatia and the Adriatic’s connectivity is invaluable to the region’s digital transformation,” says 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.”