Telecommunications During Crisis: New Models for Rising to the Challenge

By Gil Santaliz. Originally published by Disaster Recovery Journal in May 2021.

June 1, 2021

Disasters cause thousands of deaths and billions of dollars in damage worldwide each year. In the aftermath of a disaster, in addition to immediate and direct assistance to victims, communication is crucial. In fact, communication and access to information have become as important as water and electricity as a basic necessity. This is even more important at a time of crisis. Events that have the potential to cause connectivity interruptions can be predictable or completely unexpected. In either case, continuity of communication must be a priority.

The Internet is Essential

The internet becomes our go to place for news and information. During the past year, it also enabled an entirely homebound society. From access to learning, work, entertainment, banking and more, organizations around the world rose to the challenge of increased traffic and demand. Our internet infrastructure must be able to withstand any eventuality. Consider the issues that have affected connectivity this year alone: below-freezing temperatures, ice storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, floods, the bombing of a major metro area and a global pandemic. You may have not noticed any major or permanent disruption to your internet connection. You may not have realized that your bank was down momentarily. Maybe you were wondering why you couldn’t make a cell phone call for a few hours. While disruption was minimized, in today’s instant on-demand society, a few hours can seem like an eternity. What’s worse, even limited interruption can infuriate customers and put your brand at risk. During such an emergency, telecommunications professionals at every level are scrambling behind the scenes to keep those connections up and running.

The Dawn of Communications

North American telecommunications originated in New York, with the first transatlantic cable. The first of the legacy carriers, “Ma” Bell, AT&T and others being headquartered at the source of those very first international communications, led to a centralization of communications in the better part of the last century. Even as connectivity branched out from that origination point, those legacy routes and origination points remained the same. One U.S. route that has become chronically congested and dilapidated is the Northeast Coast Corridor. Major tax incentives have led to a clustering of massive data centers in Virginia and the Carolinas. Northern Virginia alone is flush with 4.7 million square feet of commissioned data center space, according to market research from datacenterHawk. Carrier consolidation led to many long-haul networks being used for local distribution, which made record keeping impossible during the many integrations. Institutions historically engineered multiple paths but were beholden to what was offered by carriers as to routes and diversity. Telecom is as collaborative as it is competitive. Fiber providers often lease access from one another. In addition, it’s very difficult to ascertain the underground routes that these fiber links take in the last mile. In the always on, always available climate, network design must get smarter for both the steady state and when systems are disrupted. Flexibility to control and redirect the network needs to be the new norm. The ability to do so comes back to having access to hubs that can maintain connectivity, as well as offer alternate pathways.

The Key Lies in Operational Independence

There are a few ways to ensure internet traffic does not come to a standstill. The first is network diversity. Sometimes, diversity and redundancy are used interchangeably. But they are completely different, and both must be in place. There may be a false sense of security, as organizations misinterpret diversity vs. redundancy. For example, a redundant system will help if one path goes down. But there may be several carriers in the same ductwork. Even if an organization buys capacity from three or four different carriers, the flow of data could still be impacted. It’s a false sense of security. There also needs to be a physically diverse path. And even if there are diverse physical routes, those routes might go through the same building at some point in the path. If the building has issues, you’re in the same situation. So the best way to handle network security is a mesh solution, where you have redundant routes, resilient routes AND physically diverse routes. In other words, a plan A, B, and C. This is considered operational independence.

One way to ensure operational independence is with an interconnectivity hub. A carrier-neutral location with access to multiple terrestrial and subsea routes is an ideal situation. With this model, organizations can control the network. The right way forward is to provide this operational independence to orchestrate how networks function. If there is a hard cut, (a fiber optic cable is damaged) traffic can be redirected. If there is a soft cut, such as a hacker, the organization can also redirect traffic. In the past, networks were hard coded, it was difficult to turn paths on and off. If a large circuit went down, it stayed down. With advances such as SD-WAN and network function virtualization (NFV), institutions can react quickly and redirect data traffic. Organizations should have the flexibility to control and redirect the network whenever needed. But in order to do this, a hub environment is required.

As more advances in telecommunications develop – such as 5G, Edge computing, blockchain and more – data needs to be as close to the end-user as possible. Getting close to the edge means bringing the interconnection point to the source. When it comes to a global business, that includes subsea systems. A new model of connectivity also includes bringing the data center to the landing point of subsea cables. This creates a low-latency connection. In addition, organizations should consider disaster recovery sites that are away from a major metro hub. At the time of the September 11th attacks, lower Manhattan was not only the epicenter of the terrorists’ targets, it was also where most of the major network hubs were housed. Since then, we have learned to have backup locations that are far enough away from strategic sites to be secure, but close enough to provide an alternate route, quickly.

Expect the Unexpected

As we have seen with many natural, manmade and even biological events, preparation is key to keeping connectivity up and information flowing. For the infrastructure sector, this means plan and prepare. Consider uncertainties before they become a reality. No one could have predicted a global pandemic that stretched on for more than a year would change the way most of us live and work. At the heart of this disruption was our connectivity. If the pandemic hit just a decade ago, it would not be possible to remotely do very much of anything for an extended period of time. Increased capacity this past year put a demand on global networks, and those networks and their operators rose to the challenge. While it was certainly stretched thin, the internet did not break. One reason for this is the behind-the-scenes efforts to provide increased capacity and connectivity to organizations. In order to do this, essential workers remained on site at data centers, cable landing stations and IT departments around the world. To have that team in place, operations-based preparedness measures are critical to avoiding any and all downtime for customers. For a predictable event like a storm, those measures should include:

Daily operations team meetings. This could include things like reviewing an impending storm’s status, and the potential impact it could have.
Inventory of the supplies on hand across key areas of the facility
Supply enough food to last a minimum of 72 hours for two people
Ensure there are supplies available in case of emergency, such as ropes, sandbags, tarps, flashlights, batteries, ratchets, etc.
Assess diesel fuel levels to make sure there is sufficient reserve to ensure the facility doesn’t lose power.
Determine what current building load is and how long the fuel will last.
Closely coordinate with critical vendors such as those that maintain generators and switchgear in the building.
Maintain clear lines of communication with vendors to ensure support.
Arrange to have satellite phones for one person on-site and one person off-site in case phone lines are impacted.
Walk the grounds, perimeter and rooftop to make sure everything is secure and bring items inside as needed.

This high level of preparedness has become imperative. Extreme weather is no longer limited to the coasts. This year we saw a deep freeze in Texas, wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, and flooding. Expect the unexpected. It’s a lesson learned from past natural and manmade disasters and one that we have all been forced to contend with during the COVID-19 pandemic.

1 Statista.com

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About NJFX:

NJFX is a Tier 3 Carrier Neutral Cable Landing Station campus. Our colocation ecosystem has expanded to over 35 network operators offering flexibility, reliability, and security. Our Wall, NJ location provides direct access to multiple subsea cable systems giving our carriers diverse connectivity solutions and offers direct interconnection without recurring cross-connect fees.

NJFX CEO, Gil Santaliz to Join Keynote at Capacity LATAM 2021

NJFX Blog / Sarah Kurtz

NJFX CEO, Gil Santaliz to Join Keynote at Capacity LATAM 2021

Helping to Define Latin America’s Connectivity Strategy for the Year Ahead

April 5, 2021

Industry leaders are coming together to drive the future of connectivity for Latin America at this year’s Capacity LATAM Conference. This must-attend event for regional and global telecom leaders will showcase how telecom carriers are transforming their businesses to meet digital connectivity needs.

The event will be held virtually April 27 – 29, 2021, providing ample opportunity to engage in the action packed agenda. Gil Santaliz, NJFX CEO will join other thought-leaders for the Subsea Keynote panel on April 29 at 10:30 BRT entitled: Delivering Diverse Connectivity to Latin America

Subsea Keynote Panelists include:

Fabian Campo, Senior Managing Director, Delta Partners
Philippe Dumont, CEO, EllaLink
Gil Santaliz, CEO, NJFX
Andy Bax, COO, Seaborn
Pablo Fraguas, Sales VP, Southern Region, Telxius

Panel Topic:

Latin America is home to several exciting new and upcoming subsea projects. This session explores how new cables are lowering latency, increasing resilience, ensuring better connectivity for all, and challenging the dominance of North-South connectivity.

Santaliz will draw on his 25 years of experience and many telecom partnerships to provide valuable insights on the state of the telecom market, changing dynamics of global subsea cable deployments and other market trends.

As CEO of NJFX, Santaliz helps carriers strategically diversify connectivity options to key hubs across North America, Europe, and South America, bypassing legacy chokepoints.

Santaliz founded NJFX based on a critical need he saw in the marketplace for route diversity and help carriers solve for single points of failure and the potential of bottlenecks found in congested areas such as NYC Metro. Hence, ‘Tier 3 by the Subsea’ was born. This first-ever model in the U.S. intersects a carrier-neutral subsea Cable Landing Station meet-me room with an independent Tier 3 colocation facility. Home to four subsea cables, including Havfrue/AEC2, Seabras, TGN1 and TGN2, NJFX is the ecosystem of choice for carriers, subsea cable providers, OTTs, enterprises and financials.

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About NJFX:

International Women’s Day: Choose to Challenge

NJFX Blog / Sarah Kurtz

International Women’s Day: Choose to Challenge

March 8, 2021

One thing we know is true, there has been no lack of challenges this past year. It’s fitting then that the theme for International Women’s Day 2021 is “Choose to Challenge”. The idea is that from challenge comes change, and there has been no shortage of that either. Our world came to a screeching halt almost exactly one year ago.

At NJFX, our business development model relies on building relationships, attending industry conferences and speaking on expert panels around the world. A year ago, just a few days shy of a national shutdown of much of the U.S., Sarah Kurtz, Business Development Manager for NJFX hosted an international delegation in our lobby. Among the attendees was Natalia López, the Head of the Telecommunications Development Fund Division for the government of Chile. In her effort to drive initiatives to improve Chile’s telecommunications infrastructure, she is leading the Asia South America Digital Gateway Project.

“We learned a lot about considerations for power, backup power, location and more,” stated López. “We found our tour of the NJFX facility enlightening and fascinating. It’s truly a unique campus with access to several subsea and terrestrial routes.”

Considered a reverse trade mission, the delegation visit was the last official event for NJFX in 2020. And very quickly, our business development became a virtual endeavor. With Kurtz leading the charge, the team at NJFX pivoted to nurture the relationships she had begun to build over laptop screens and computer monitors. And she definitely was up to the challenge.

“I joined NJFX in October of 2019. During my first six months, I traveled to London twice, to Hawaii and also to San Francisco. I was only home for three days in February of 2020. Then it all just stopped. I immediately had to find new ways to network without being face to face with people,” comments Kurtz. “In my world of business development – the face to face interaction is crucial. But with everyone in the same situation, the pivot was the only option. My six months of relationship building needed to be nurtured. Suddenly, I had to figure out how to do that virtually.”

As the world looks forward to a day when we can return to face-to-face networking and traveling freely, Kurtz has taken on the role of also nurturing young talent in the infrastructure industry. As a member of the SubOptic working group on Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, she is highlighting opportunities for others like her.

Her advice is simple, never miss an opportunity. “There are so many people out there who want you to succeed. Take every opportunity you are given. Find mentors and seek out role models. There has never been more of a desire to help women and people of color succeed. Take the mentorship opportunities and run with them!”

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About NJFX:

Reimagining Infrastructure for Connectivity Innovation

NJFX Blog / Sarah Kurtz

Reimagining Infrastructure for Connectivity Innovation

March 1, 2021

There’s no shortage of lessons learned this past year in connectivity innovation. Organizations pivoted, adjusted business strategies and found new ways to innovate. Members of the 7×24 Exchange Delaware Valley Chapter had the opportunity to hear and learn from some of the industry’s top data center experts this week. These operators discussed how their businesses changed in recent years, how they define success, and how to move forward. Through the expertise of its active membership, 7×24 Exchange International is a leading provider of conferences enabling collaboration and knowledge sharing amongst industry professionals.

This month, the Chapter was honored to host Gil Santaliz, Founder and CEO of NJFX, NJFX; Raul Martynek, CEO, DataBank and Chris Downie, CEO, Flexential on a panel entitled ‘Operator Insights & AlwaysON Data Centers’.

There’s no question that data centers must engage in connectivity innovation. Data centers are a key hub in connectivity and essential to keeping businesses and IT infrastructures up and running.

NJFX: NJFX started out as a Tier 3 data center facility that was purpose-built adjacent to TATA’s Cable Landing Station. From there, connectivity innovation led to a unique model. This model allows easier interconnection between subsea cable networks and terrestrial fiber networks. Today, NJFX is actually hosting subsea cables. NJFX welcomed the landing of the Havfrue/AEC2 subsea system connecting Wall, NJ to Norway, with branches to Denmark and Ireland. A total of 30 network providers are accessible at NJFX, interconnecting to four subsea networks.

DataBank: Starting with six data centers in three markets in 2005, DataBank grew to twenty data centers in nine markets.The company’s key focus for many years was on serving secondary Tier 2 markets. But in 2019, DataBank underwent connectivity innovation that resulted in two major deals. The company invested in modular data center provider, EdgePresence and acquired zColo data center assets from Zayo. Today, the company has 65 datacenters in 29 markets, including four markets in Europe.

As Martynek explained, “With both of those transactions, it was a pivot towards positioning ourselves to take advantage of what we see as the shift of internet infrastructure. The cloud has been a centralizing dynamic.” He adds that the sector is ripe for more connectivity innovation and should focus on delivering low cost solutions.

Flexential: Operates 40 data centers in 20 markets with 25 national peering points enabling its customers to distribute workloads and applications. The company is also host to two oversea fiber cables in Hillsboro, Oregon with a campus of facilities that serve as one of the most robust network centric platforms in the marketplace.

While all three companies have unique assets and strengths, common to all is the laser focus on their customers. At the top of the list for all three CEOs is improving the customer experience, along with having great customer relationships and building robust ecosystems with connectivity innovation. They all also place a high importance on their employees and building cohesive and collaborative teams and cultures.

As Santaliz noted, “It’s about developing that platform that is very repeatable, along with delighting your customers and celebrating their success. NJFX’s focus is on matching up our customers with others in our ecosystem to innovate, collaborate and increase value. Our customers find success in our model. Our team is seasoned and works hard to build a predictable and successful model to add more value for our clients.”

A key aspect of connectivity innovation is reliability and uptime in the face of any crisis. This was put to the test recently when extreme temperatures hit Texas. Flexential and DataBank both have multiple facilities in the state. All remained up and running with no customer impact during the many widespread power outages. Members of the panel discussed areas within the industry where there is room for more connectivity innovation and modernization. There is no doubt there will be many more industry conversations around addressing the challenges of improving infrastructure, along with exploring new technologies.

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About NJFX:

NJFX Founder & CEO Gil Santaliz Joins Panel on Best Practices in Infrastructure Facility Construction

NJFX Blog / Sarah Kurtz

NJFX Founder & CEO Gil Santaliz Joins Panel on Best Practices in Infrastructure Facility Construction

February 16, 2021

Wall Township – Gil Santaliz, Founder and CEO of NJFX, the only Cable Landing Station (CLS) colocation campus in the U.S offering Tier 3, carrier-neutral data center capabilities, will be part of a panel hosted by the 7×24 Exchange, a not-for-profit organization that provides an educational forum focusing on challenges faced by mission critical industry professionals. The panel, entitled “Building Design and Construction: Operator Insight”, will provide firsthand insight from high-profile operators of North American infrastructure facilities including Raul K. Martynek, CEO of edge data center provider DataBank and Chris Downie, CEO of hybrid IT solutions provider Flexential.

“I am looking forward to sharing our combined insight on what operators are looking for in building design and construction, including what worked, what didn’t and what we wish we had known,” comments Santaliz. “I have known the participants on this panel for more than 20 years and it’s a pleasure to be collaborating and sharing where our industry is going and how this organization can help us achieve continued success in this journey”.

Hunter Newby will moderate the panel, the visionary behind the designs, architectures and even phrases common to the industry today, like the Meet-Me-Room.The panel will take place at 2pm ET on February 23rd and is hosted by 7×24 Exchange. Founded in 1989 by a group of industry visionaries, 7×24 Exchange International has grown to include over 300 member companies and 28 chapters. Members are as diverse as the industry itself and include firms within industries such as aerospace, energy, financial services, government, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, media, technology, and more.

“Engineering and trade professionals rarely engage with the CEO who has the obligation to monetize the critical infrastructure they design and build,” adds Downie. “This is an opportunity for insight on the evolving ecosystem and its needs for this infrastructure to perform”

Through the expertise of its active membership, 7×24 Exchange International is a leading provider of conferences enabling collaboration and knowledge sharing amongst industry professionals. 7×24 Exchange International is committed to addressing the challenges of energy efficiency and sustainability, providing continued value to member companies and conference participants and giving back through its social responsibility initiative.

Register for the panel here. To learn more about NJFX, visit. www.njfx.net. And to learn more about the 7×24 exchange, visit www.7x24exchange.org.

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About NJFX:

NJFX Tier 3 by the Subsea Has North America Covered with Global Tier 1 Provider, Sparkle

NJFX Blog / Sarah Kurtz

NJFX Tier 3 by the Subsea Has North America Covered with Global Tier 1 Provider, Sparkle

With a strong global presence and excellent leadership, Sparkle is in the spotlight this week as a valued NJFX customer that has been a part of our resilient ecosystem for many years, helping to make NJFX the strategic doorstep into Latin America (LATAM).

February 8, 2021

TIER 1 HEAVY WEIGHT

As a leading global Tier 1 service provider, Sparkle offers a full range of IP, data, cloud, data center, mobile data and voice solutions. Its state-of-the-art advanced global backbone is over 540,000 km of terrestrial fiber and international submarine cables. In addition, Sparkle owns and operates three fiber pairs on the Seabras-1 submarine cable that lands at the NJFX Tier 3 colocation campus. This cable is a 10,500 km fiber optic, 6-fiber pair, 72 Tbps submarine cable system that is the only direct PoP to PoP system connecting São Paulo, Brazil, New Jersey and New York. Sparkle also ranks seventh worldwide for IP and tenth globally for voice traffic.

HIGH CAPACITY GATEWAY TO LATAM

“Sparkle is unique as we are both an owner and operator of our three fiber pairs on the Seabras-1 subsea cable and have the largest telco infrastructure in Brazil,” commented Carmine Sorrentino, EVP Americas Region for Sparkle. “With the largest IP network in LATAM, coupled with protected routes, IP and data center connectivity, we are the most optimal choice for telcos, ISPs, OTTs, media and content providers, as well as multinational corporations.”

This Tier 1 provider globally serves as THE gateway to LATAM. Sparkle is a trusted carrier with the network depth and reach to get from Wall, New Jersey down to Miami and on to Fortaleza, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Lima, Bogota, Panama City, Caracas, and San Juan among other key spots.

NJ TO LA IN A HOT MINUTE

To provide even more value for NJFX customers, Sparkle is deploying terrestrial capacity from NJFX to Los Angeles to connect Seabras-1 to Google’s Curie subsea system, which is a four-fiber, 10,500km cable connecting Los Angeles, California to Valparaiso, Chile. The Curie cable system is designed with 18 Tbps per fiber pair and a total system design capacity of 72 Tbps.

With this connectivity, NJFX customers can connect from New Jersey to São Paulo to Santiago to Los Angeles – plus hit all of the west coast PoPs in the Bay Area. This is a win for carriers and also OTTs, gamers, hyperscalers, enterprises and financials that need high capacity. This will also be especially key for organizations that want connectivity to cloud providers in LATAM.

“We have LATAM covered on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, offering carriers and organizations requiring high capacity bandwidth subsea diversity plus a full suite of services including cloud connectivity, IP, wavelengths and Ethernet,” continued Sorrentino. All in all – there are a LOT of options available for NJFX customers to leverage Sparkle’s robust infrastructure and tap into its LATAM gateway. Stay tuned for additional developments and increased capabilities ahead. To learn more, please contact Felix Seda: [email protected].

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About NJFX:

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NJFX Tier 3 by the Subsea Has North America Covered with Global Tier 1 Provider, Sparkle Read More »

NJFX HIRES MIKE REVERENDO AS SITE ACCESS MANAGER TO OVERSEE SAFETY AND SECURITY AT ITS CLS COLOCATION CAMPUS

NJFX Blog / Sarah Kurtz

NJFX Hires Mike Reverendo as site Access Manager to ocersee safety and security at its CLS colocation campus

January 5, 2021

Wall Township, NJ – NJFX, the only Cable Landing Station (CLS) colocation campus in the U.S offering Tier 3, carrier-neutral data center capabilities, announces naming Mike Reverendo as Site Access Manager for the CLS Campus. In this role, Mr. Reverendo will oversee essential workers coming to and from the NJFX campus following protocols and coordinating with county, state and federal agencies, as well as adhering to CDC guidelines for safety.

“The pandemic has made safe and secure access to critical infrastructure imperative for continuity of business operations, including providing connectivity to some of the biggest names of the internet,” comments Mr. Reverendo. “Because all our customers’ technicians serve an essential role, we facilitate their access to our facility. However, maintaining a strict standard of both safety and security is my goal during this unprecedented time, and beyond.”

Mr. Reverendo brings a diverse background to the role. This includes an internship with the DEA (United States Drug Enforcement Administration) during which he was exposed to a breadth of secure access procedures for sensitive sites. In his new role, he will manage everyone coming to and from the campus, including overseeing requests for access from international essential workers. As part of his efforts going forward, Mr. Reverendo will also focus on cyber security as a priority in supporting NJFX customers with best practices.

“Keeping COVID-19 protocols in mind has made things a bit more complex than usual. But I am confident that we as a company are taking every precaution to make sure everyone comes in as safely as possible and following all state, local and federal CDC guidelines,” adds Mr. Reverendo. “We are upholding the standards of security that we always have, with an extra layer for the health and safety of our staff as well as those coming to our building.”

Mr. Reverendo will be the point person for NJFX to all security officials, including county, state, and federal, such as the Department of Homeland Security. Over the last year, the world has seen that communications become paramount during global events such as the pandemic, as the entire world made a shift to remote work, school, and leisure. Enabling the connections to make that possible is crucial to our shared connectivity.

As telecommunications continues to be a matter of national security, the role of Site Access Manager is extremely important. “We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Reverendo to the NJFX team and look forward to learning from him as he serves as liaison to the government entities that we must continue to form solid relationships with,” states Gil Santaliz, CEO, NJFX. “He will also receive ongoing training from federal authorities to keep the NJFX facility safe and secure.”

With the new Havfrue/AEC-2 cable Ready for Service as of November 2020, global connectivity grows every day, with each carrier cross-connect in the NJFX Carrier-Neutral MMR (Meet Me Room). Mr. Reverendo looks forward to working with state health officials to determine a timeline for essential workers at NJFX to eventually receive COVID-19 vaccinations. Mr. Reverendo graduated from The College of New Jersey with a degree in Business Administration. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in criminal justice.

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About NJFX:

NJFX CEO Gil Santaliz Honored as NJBiz “NJ Digi-Tech Innovator 2020”

NJFX Blog / Sarah Kurtz

NJFX CEO Gil Santaliz Honored as NJBiz “NJ Digi-Tech Innovator 2020”

Recognized as a Pioneer in the New Jersey Digital & Tech Landscape

November 9, 2020

Gil Santaliz, the visionary and CEO behind NJFX, has been honored by NJBIZ as part of its NJ Digi-Tech Innovators for 2020. NJBIZ recognizes leaders and executives as pioneers from New Jersey who have, and are, introducing significant advances in the technological and digital space at their organizations, and therefore enhancing the overall productivity and performance of their companies.

NJBIZ recognized Gil Santaliz for successfully establishing a physical, digital gateway in New Jersey for new subsea cables to connect North America to Europe and South America. This critical subsea infrastructure supports 99% of global internet traffic as well as financial markets, U.S. critical communications and the world’s largest content companies such as Facebook and Google.

NJFX helps carriers strategically diversify connectivity options to key hubs across North America, Europe, and South America, bypassing legacy chokepoints. Operating “Tier 3 by the Subsea,” NJFX is the world’s first colocation campus that strategically intersects a carrier-neutral subsea Cable Landing Station meet-me room with an independent Tier 3 colocation facility.

Santaliz’ innovative approach to thinking outside traditional telecom partnerships and network architecture, led him to establish NJFX’s unique offering. When he realized New York was a highly concentrated hotspot for internet landing points, he started re-imaging a hub of connectivity outside of the congestion of New York. His knowledge of internet infrastructure and its limitations led to NJFX – a place where the internet lands, lives and connects the world.

“As a veteran of the telecom industry, I realized there was a flaw 20 years ago when the infrastructure of the internet age was first installed,” comments Santaliz. “All of the data was centered in NYC. Establishing NJFX allowed New Jersey to showcase how our state could become the digital gateway along our existing coast for easy access to subsea cable landings and also provide terrestrial access for carriers, content providers, enterprises and other large capacity organizations to reach the rest of North America.”

For the future, Santaliz predicts 5G and IoT will accelerate machine to machine transactions and need for reliable global connectivity. NJFX will be one of only five locations on the U.S. East Coast where data will traverse and be one of the most robust ecosystems to support North American physical networks.

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About NJFX:

NJFX INCREASING FOCUS ON GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS WITH EXPEDITED CROSS CONNECTS BEFORE ELECTION DAY

NJFX Blog / Sarah Kurtz

NJFX INCREASING FOCUS ON GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS WITH EXPEDITED CROSS CONNECTS BEFORE ELECTION DAY

November 1, 2020

The U.S. election is an event watched the world over, especially during a Presidential election year. This year is marked with more awareness than usual, with several key issues making headlines: U.S. relations with adversaries and allies, as well as world financial market reaction to the results, all set against the backdrop of uncharted waters with a global pandemic.

As a U.S. based Cable Landing Station (CLS) campus supporting global communications, NJFX is diligently working to keep information flowing in a robust way during this year’s U.S. Election Day. The world needs real time information, quickly and without disruption. Markets need to be able to count on secure financial transactions. Global internet service providers need to keep their customers online, reliably and securely.

NJFX is taking an extra step to maintain the integrity of global connectivity with our robust telecom and subsea ecosystem at our facility. We have asked our customers to prioritize submitting their cross connect orders to NJFX by Monday, November 2^nd. This will ensure all work is completed by our Meet-Me Room (MMR) technical team to support uninterrupted global communications on Tuesday, November 3^rd.

With crucial information flowing at a time of high traffic, there is potential for terabytes of data to travel globally. While continuing full and uninterrupted operations, we will postpone new construction work at the NJFX Campus on Election Day. We will also continue doing what we do every day to ensure our customers are supported during what many may see as a time of high volatility.

The NJFX Campus has more physical fiber count cables and combination of capacity per cable than any other network hub in the U.S. Our role is vital. In this unpredictable world, the fear of the unknown continues. Our team is focused on making sure we, along with our customers, are all prepared with the secure and reliable network infrastructure that is such an integral part of global communications today.

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About NJFX:

Felix Seda Honored as New Jersey’s “40 under 40” by NJBiz

NJFX Blog / Sarah Kurtz

Felix Seda Honored as New Jersey’s “40 under 40” by NJBiz

October 29, 2020

Our very own Felix Seda, General Manager at NJFX, was honored in a virtual ceremony October 28 by NJBiz as one of New Jersey’s “40 under 40”. The program honors professionals in New Jersey under 40 who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to their company’s growth and development. The awards show that professional excellence can be achieved well before a 40th birthday with hard work and passion.

Felix was selected for the honor due to his professional accomplishments and dedication to bringing young talent into the telecommunications industry, a challenge that has been particularly difficult for the subsea sector. Felix quickly climbed the ranks of NJFX, becoming the General Manager after only five years with the company. His dedication and determination to NJFX’s unique mission of creating an avenue for carriers and networks to get as close to the edge as possible and bridging the gap between the subsea cable landing station and landline fiber routes makes him an incredibly valuable asset to the company.

Beyond NJFX, Felix has spearheaded multiple initiatives to educate young professionals on the value of a career in subsea and telecom. He created the Millennial Reception at PTC 2020 to encourage industry newcomers to network with each other and industry veterans to better establish themselves in their careers, and is also working closely on Diversity and Inclusion with SubOptic. He has proven himself as an influential leader and inspiring mentor for young telecom professionals.

The NJFX team is proud to have Felix as a valuable asset for our business. He has proven time and time again through his forward-thinking initiatives, collaborative approach and hardworking spirit that he will continue to become a true icon in the telecommunications industry. Congratulations, Felix!

Watch the full event here!

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About NJFX:

NJFX Blog

Telecommunications During Crisis: New Models for Rising to the Challenge

Gil Santaliz

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Felix Seda Honored as New Jersey’s “40 under 40” by NJBiz

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