Relined Fiber Network is acquiring Glazen-Maas, a company owned by the City of Rotterdam. The deal places a dark fibre network of around 80 kilometres in the hands of the Vianen-based network operator. The network will be linked to Relined’s national infrastructure and will form the basis of a new metro network in Rotterdam.
Until now, Glazen-Maas was owned by the City of Rotterdam. Relined is taking over the company’s shares. Glazen-Maas’s main asset is the network infrastructure itself, and the company has no employees. The dark fibre network comprises around 80 kilometres of fibre in the city and, according to Relined, already connects dozens of organisations. Relined has not disclosed the purchase price.
Relined and the city had already been working together for some time on the operation and availability of the network. With the transfer of full ownership, the Rotterdam network becomes part of Relined’s national infrastructure.
Implications for existing customers
Relined says nothing will change in terms of connections and services for organisations already connected to the network. The company says it is investing immediately in optimising and further developing the network, although it has not specified any amounts. By bringing ownership, management and development together under a single national network operator, Relined expects to lay a foundation for continuity and future investment.
Following integration, Relined will be able to offer WDM, Ethernet and cloud connectivity services over the network in addition to dark fibre. According to the company, the link to the national network will give organisations more scope to configure connections and data routes to suit their own needs. Relined is also positioning itself as an additional alternative for Rotterdam organisations that want to spread their connectivity across multiple network providers.
Metro network modelled on Amsterdam and Frankfurt
Building on the acquired network, Relined is launching a metro network in Rotterdam. It will operate on the same model as the company’s existing metro networks in Amsterdam and Frankfurt. Relined offers connections based on a standardised portfolio and a fixed pricing structure, which the company itself describes as transparent. For connections within existing coverage, Relined aims for a lead time of one to three weeks. That timeframe depends on technical feasibility and any on-site work required.
The company states that the network has sufficient capacity to connect new organisations alongside existing customers. Relined expects this to enable businesses and institutions to connect new sites more quickly, expand capacity and adapt their network architecture as their needs change.
Rotterdam as the next step
Pieter Heestermans, CFO at Relined Fiber Network, says the acquisition connects Rotterdam directly to the company’s national and international network. According to him, existing customers will retain their services and also gain access to a broader network and additional services. Heestermans adds that it also creates room to connect new organisations.
Heestermans describes Rotterdam as a logical next step for the company. He points to the concentration of internationally operating businesses in the region and Rotterdam’s role as an economic hub in north-west Europe. With the expansion, Relined aims to strengthen its position as a connectivity partner in the region.
Relined has been active as a provider of digital infrastructure in north-west Europe for more than twenty years. The company offers access to more than 50,000 kilometres of cross-border dark fibre in the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. It also manages the COBRA fibre link between the Netherlands and Denmark.
This article was originally published in Dutch on MSP Business. Read the original →
