In a significant move that underscores the strategic importance of advanced connectivity in Northern Europe, the IOEMA Project has chosen Greenhouse Datacenters as a principal landing partner for its subsea fiber optic cables in South Holland. The subsea cable will come ashore at Scheveningen, marking it as the project’s second landing point in the Netherlands, the first being at Eemshaven in the north.
The purpose of the IOEMA project is to establish a robust and AI-ready fiber optic link connecting key Northern European markets, namely the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Norway. This innovation involves a 1,600-kilometre repeatered subsea cable, with considerations for additional connectivity extending to France. Security concerns have prompted IOEMA to incorporate extensive armouring and contemplate the integration of sensors, potentially creating the first SMART cable system in the region.
The choice of Greenhouse Datacenters aligns not just with the advantageous location of its South Holland premises, a mere 12 kilometres from the Scheveningen landing point but also owing to its strategic presence of connectivity partners. This includes well-established names such as AMS-IX, Lumen, Delta Fiber, and IOEMA collaborators like Eurofiber and Relined.
"We are pleased to announce an additional landing partner, connecting IOEMA directly into a rich connectivity ecosystem," said Eckhard Bruckschen, CTO of IOEMA Fibre Ltd., addressing the impact of the collaboration.
Greenhouse Datacenters CEO Ruben van der Zwan echoed the sentiment, emphasising that the deployment of new submarine cables is vital to nurturing the digital business landscape in the Netherlands. He noted that Greenhouse's data centers are central to enhancing digital and economic resilience nationwide, positioning the Netherlands as a leader in international digital hubs.
Van der Zwan elaborated on the strategic utility of Greenhouse as a competitive alternative in the bustling Amsterdam data centre market. He highlighted the centre's strengths, such as ultra-low latency connections to Amsterdam, on-site AMS-IX PoP, and its embracing of sustainability and scalability practices.
Rick Pijpers, involved in the project as an advisor, described the Greenhouse landing station as more than a technical facility. He emphasised its role as a strategic digital hub that contributes to international data flow and strengthens the digital economy across the region.
Peter van Burgel, CEO of AMS-IX, reaffirmed the value brought by the IOEMA subsea cable, predicting substantial growth in digital traffic spurred by AI applications, further cementing South Holland's reputation as a premier digital hub for the AI era.