NORFEST

NORFEST: Fully diverse fibre backhaul for AI data centres

A high-capacity subsea fibre route connecting 11 key locations in Southern Norway.

The race to build - and connect - southern Norway's AI data centres is on. Southern Norway has become a favoured location for AI infrastructure providers, with significant presence in hubs like Oslo and Kristiansand, and many more data centres being announced.

Now, the race is on to get that new infrastructure built, powered and - crucially - connected to the global fibre backbone.

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4 reasons to choose NORFEST for route diversity

1. AI-scale capacity
The NORFEST system was designed to meet the soaring capacity needs of hyperscalers, neoscalers and other HPC services providers. Features that enable scalable capacity include unrepeated subsea fibre, netxt-generation photonics, 11+ key local Points of Presence, and global interconnect.

2. Future-proof scalability
In an industry where needs evolve fast and innovation moves even faster, NORFEST is ready for whatever's next in AI, HPC and GPU-as-a-service. Future proofing benefits include scalable capacity, open system access, and 25-year minimum cable guarantee.

3. Multi-layered resilience
NORFEST exploits a natural trench just off the coast of sourthern Norway to offer advanced protection against damage from sabotage and environmental disturbances. A multi-layered approach to resilience includes deep-water trench, micro-routing, and more.

4. Designed-in reliability
Business models rooted in real-time, high-performance computing need ultra-reliable connectivity from ultra-reliable providers. NORFEST has reliability designed into every layer, protecting your workloads, your business and your reputation.

FAQ

What is NORFEST?
NORFEST is a subsea fibre optic cable system built and operated by Tampnet, providing a 100% diverse backhaul route connecting 11+ locations in southern Norway and Sweden.

Who operates NORFEST?
NORFEST is owned and operated by Tampnet, an offshore telecommunications company.

What is NORFEST used for?
NORFEST is designed to provide diverse, high-capacity fibre backhaul connectivity for AI data centres, hyperscalers, neoscalers, and high-performance computing providers in southern Norway.

Which locations does NORFEST connect?
NORFEST connects 11+ locations including Stavanger, Egersund, Kristiansand, and Oslo, with full diversity within the Oslo metro area, landing finally at Capri, Sweden.

How much capacity does NORFEST offer?
NORFEST fibre pairs, lit with Ciena WaveLogic transponders, currently deliver up to 27 Tbps throughput, with wavelength services available at 400G and 800G and room to scale further.

How is NORFEST protected from physical damage?
The cable is buried up to 1.5 meters deep in a natural trench 300-600 meters underwater, monitored continuously using State of Polarisation (SOP) and Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) technology, within Norwegian Coast Guard-patrolled waters.

What commercial models does Tampnet offer for NORFEST?
Tampnet offers three models: dark fibre for customer-managed operation, wavelengths for Tampnet-managed capacity, and MOFN, a fully managed optical fibre network built to the customer's specification.

When was NORFEST built?
The first cable branch was laid from Egersund on 27 June 2023, with the final landing completed at Capri, Sweden on 6 December 2023.

What is the cable guarantee for NORFEST?
The NORFEST cable, manufactured by Nexans, carries a minimum 25-year guarantee.

NORFEST: Fully diverse fibre backhaul for AI data centres

A high-capacity subsea fibre route connecting 11 key locations in Southern Norway.

4 reasons to choose NORFEST for route diversity

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