Infrastructure
The power of a national ultra-high-speed optical transport network
The choice of architecture and transmission equipment, supported by a recent cable network, offers links between cities of 10 Gb/s to 400 Gb/s with very low latency.
Combined mastery of the physical and photonic layers to guarantee an availability rate that is essential to the customer experience.
The deployment of a mesh network reinforced by restoration processes or optical protection depending on resilience requirements.
Digital sovereignty through infrastructure
A sovereign infrastructure is a prerequisite for sovereign operation and digital sovereignty.
Terralpha ensures the sovereignty of its infrastructures thanks to :
- the use of European photonics equipment
- a fibre-optic network built on freehold land along SNCF Réseau's railway lines
- teams based in France, employed by the SNCF Group or its subsidiaries
- digital tiles facilitating the emergence of edge computing
What is optical fibre?
Optical fibre is a cable made of very thin glass or plastic wire, which is used to propagate light waves.
In the telecommunications sector, optical fibre is used to transport data in the form of light pulses between two distant locations, ranging from a few metres to several thousand kilometres.
The light signal is capable of transmitting a very large amount of information, with significant potential for increasing data rates thanks to technological advances.
Terralpha, a subsidiary of SNCF Réseau, has several fibres along the SNCF tracks. Terralpha therefore offers different routes between two points, enabling the use of low-latency links on both the main link and its backup.
This technology, which enables long-distance communications at very high speeds, is a revolution in telecommunications.
How fibre optics work
The information circulating in the cables travels at the speed of light.
The cable is made up of three main components:
A plastic sheath :
This is the outer layer. It insulates and protects the lower layers. Sometimes accompanied by a metal reinforcement, it makes the fibre even more resistant.
Optical cladding :
It is located between the core and the plastic sheath. It prevents light from propagating.
A heart :
This is the deepest layer of the cable. This is where the light signals travel.
Photonics: what is it?
Data transport on the Terralpha photonic network takes the form of optical rather than electronic signals. Data is therefore transported in the form of light throughout the network.
A photonic network is data agnostic.
The interconnection with the customer is made via a specific protocol for the sake of operational rationalisation.
An electronic signal is transformed into a light signal on a card - the transponder - and the data remains in the form of a light signal until it reaches the destination POP, where the reverse operation is performed. will take place.
