NJFX Blog

Re-Imagining Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging

NJFX General Manager dedication to bringing young talent to the industry

July 28, 2020

COVID-19 has presented significant obstacles for many aspects of life, and for young people it has also created a lot of uncertainty when it comes to employment options and opportunities. For this reason, the SubOptic Association is working hard to establish a pipeline to reinvigorate the subsea/telecom industry and enable strategic internship and mentorship programs allowing for the new wave of leaders pushing the industry forward. NJFX applauds this group and its efforts to strengthen the industry as a whole.

As part of that focus, NJFX General Manager, Felix Seda and Business Development Manager, Sarah Kurtz – both millennials – are assisting in SubOptic’s efforts to encourage young talent to join the telecommunications workforce, specifically in the subsea space. After spearheading the Millennials in Telecom reception at PTC 2020, Seda sought to expand the initiative and focus it on the subsea space, leading him to work on initiatives within the Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (“DIB”) working group of the SubOptic Association. As a part of the DIB Working group, Mr. Seda and Ms. Kurtz are working alongside the rest of the members to create opportunities for the younger generation to explore the various avenues afforded within the industry.

“We are working with the many talented people in the SubOptic Association to rebuild these programs in a way that will help broaden our outreach and expand the pool of young leaders exploring our rewarding and unique industry,” says Seda. “Internships are a great way for people still in college to find their career path post-grad, and we do not want the state of the world to get in the way of that.” The SubOptic Association is also working on building and launching their mentorship program, which connects young professionals with more experienced mentors to guide them in the beginning stages of their careers.

“We value the work being done by the entire SubOptic membership and working groups to raise awareness on the importance of bringing more people to the industry and attracting new organizations,” commented Erick Contag, Executive Chairman of GlobeNet and President of the Executive Committee of SubOptic. “We are fortunate to have such a talented and dedicated team of people working on these important and worthy initiatives.”

“Felix and Sarah are very dedicated to this cause and their insights have been extremely valuable to not only NJFX’s success, but in guiding millennials to the industry,” commented Gil Santaliz, CEO of NJFX. “They are clearly dedicated to building out the subsea workforce, and we look forward to their efforts, along with others in the industry to garner even more participation and success going forward.”

Seda has also been working with SubOptic’s DIB working group to expand its network of partner companies for the internship and mentorship programs. The DIB team recently held a well-attended session at the Subsea World online conference to encourage more companies to get involved. “When I was in college, I was a part of the Posse Foundation program, which is a well-known organization in the education landscape. They have a large network of “Posse Partners”, companies who encourage their employees to volunteer to mentor students and provide internship opportunities to the Posse scholars. My goal is to create an extensive network like that for SubOptic, and maybe even blend these initiatives in the future,” Seda remarks.

This is not the only time Seda and Kurtz have shown their dedication to bringing young talent to the industry. They both worked closely with PTC earlier this year to organize a reception aimed at bringing millennials together to network with each other and with established industry veterans. The dynamic twosome also conducted a virtual career presentation at Matawan Regional High School in New Jersey to inform college-bound students about the opportunities in telecom infrastructure. Their work with SubOptic is the next step in collective efforts to revitalize the industry with fresh perspectives, from the Digital Native generation.

###

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.

Why the Cable Landing Station Matters

NJFX Blog / Sarah Kurtz

Why the Cable Landing Station Matters

As a Carrier-Neutral Ecosystem, NJFX Brings Together a Variety of Carriers and Service Providers That Enable So Much More For End-Users

July 7, 2020

Wall Township, NJ – A Cable Landing Station (CLS) colocation campus in the U.S., offering Tier 3, carrier-neutral data center capabilities — providing direct access to multiple independent subsea cable systems connecting North and South America, Europe and the Caribbean — is an entirely unique facility in the world of information and communications technology (ICT) with singular attributes and capabilities. Especially as content and application requirements continue to push the need for data to be closer to the edge, such a CLS colocation campus is essential in providing strong interconnections between customers, partners and transcontinental subsea cable systems.

“For global enterprises, ISPs, CDNs and network operators, having access to diverse terrestrial and subsea options for connectivity is the foundation of their ability to reach new customers and penetrate new and emerging markets,” commented Gil Santaliz, CEO for NJFX. “Moreover, by establishing a presence at the NJFX CLS colocation campus, customers can leverage direct over 12 terrestrial routes to major North American destinations and avoid unnecessary legacy network bottlenecks. In addition, NJFX customers can also gain access to four subsea cable systems between continents for the best intercontinental data exchange, including critical transatlantic connectivity to Europe & South America.”

“By establishing a presence at the NJFX CLS colocation campus, customers are now able to leverage direct, low latency routes to major U.S. business hubs in New York and Ashburn that avoid legacy chokepoints,” stated Ivo Ivanov, CEO of DE-CIX International. “We are also seeing the LATAM market as one of the focus regions for networks we want to connect from NJFX to DE-CIX New York.”

Why are these connectivity and interconnection capabilities now more important than ever?

If the recent months have taught us anything, it’s that a surge in digital services usage places tremendous pressure on the internet to be able to handle the rise in traffic volumes and shifting patterns of demand that can potentially affect the end-user experience. To give but one example of how this has affected communications providers, in March, as internet users began staying home to work, study and self-entertain, one major carrier saw a 20 percent increase in web traffic in a single week. Virtual Private Network (VPN) usage went up 49 percent, while video rose by 36 percent, and online gaming increased 115 percent.

CenturyLink, which offers an extensive global fiber network, including approximately 450,000 route miles of fiber and a network serving customers around the world, recently established a point-of-presence (PoP) at NJFX. The carrier provides an underground terrestrial fiber network, linking key routes across North America. This is just one more example of the advantages of a CLS colocation campus with carrier-neutral data center capabilities that brings together a variety of communications and service providers that enable so much more for end-users

“Establishing a point of presence at NJFX allows CenturyLink customers close proximity to data, decreasing network latency, along with delivering smart options to further diversify and plan their international connections with clarity and accuracy,” commented Warren Greenberg, vice president and general manager for CenturyLink in NYC, NJ and CT. “We look forward to offering our services suite at the NJFX campus and to our enterprise customers.”

Rather than a gradual evolution, COVID-19 has accelerated the digital transformation efforts of many enterprises virtually overnight. Moreover, with IDC predicting that global data traffic will increase 61 percent by 2025 to reach 175 zettabytes, up from 33 ZB last year, we can reasonably anticipate that the demand for networking, compute, and storage capacity will remain high, especially as more and more next-generation technologies such as AI, IoT, and AR/VR applications become mainstreamed, and 5G sees wider adoption.

Faced with these current and future challenges, a CLS colocation campus that serves as a network interconnection point at the easternmost edge of North America enables companies to design and construct the most efficient network for their business and ensure the delivery of high-bandwidth content and applications to serve end-customers. NJFX offers an ecosystem rich with fiber networks and platforms providing multiple options for route diversity, availability, reliability and security.

Because of its location on the edge of domestic and international networks and subsea cables, this enables enterprises, financial services organizations and carriers to utilize direct routing, eliminate single points of failure and avoid typical network congestion points.

Recently, Epsilon connected its network backbone to NJFX’s facility, extending its software-defined networking (SDN) platform, Infiny, to offer the ability to bypass New York entirely. Epsilon customers can connect directly to Europe from NJFX via the Transatlantic Bridge, including the TGN cable as well as the Havfrue (AEC2) cable when it becomes ready for service.

“NJFX is a pivotal data centre for transatlantic traffic,” said former Epsilon CEO Jerzy Szlosarek. “With multiple transatlantic cables coming directly into the NJFX facility, connectivity can happen right at the edge, without legacy bottlenecks, and can then continue across North America via the complete Epsilon network.”

Via Epsilon, as well as several other network providers such as Altice, NJEdge, TATA Communications, Windstream and Zayo, companies can readily access major cloud service providers (CSPs) to launch public and private cloud deployments from NJFX, including Alibaba Cloud, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure, Google Cloud Platform, IBM Cloud, and Oracle.

The Flexera 2020 State of the Cloud Report recently revealed that the most common multi-cloud approach among enterprises is a mix of multiple public and private clouds. NJFX’s ability to offer streamlined access to CSPs is especially significant in view of the fact that cloud-first policies and cloud migration are top-of-mind among enterprises, which are rapidly increasing cloud spend and workload volumes, according to the report.

You can check out the other articles in the Why CLS Matter series in the links below:

https://njfx.net/njfx-blog/terra-firma-why-terrestrial-connectivity-matters-to-the-cable-landing-station/

https://njfx.net/blog/why-the-cable-landing-station-matters/

###

About NJFX:

It’s a Wrap: ITW 2020 a VIRTUAL Success!

NJFX Blog / Sarah Kurtz

It’s a Wrap: ITW 2020 a VIRTUAL Success!

International Telecoms Week is a widely attended and eagerly anticipated annual event. As with many events this spring, ITW 2020 transitioned from in-person to fully virtual. It’s quickly becoming the new normal.

June 24, 2020

WALL TOWNSHIP, NJ – Despite the new format, the goals of the event remain the same since the first conference in 2000. ITW aims to bring the carrier, data center, software, hardware, internet application, and investment communities together.

NJFX was pleased to announce CenturyLink Inc. (NYSE: CTL) is the latest communications service provider to establish a presence at the CLS campus. CenturyLink offers an extensive global fiber network including approximately 450,000 route miles of fiber and a network serving customers around the world, providing secure and reliable services to meet the growing digital demands of businesses. CenturyLink’s expansion into NJFX offers its customers more options to connect and leverage cutting-edge services.

During ITW, NJFX team members participated in a JSA virtual roundtable bringing the telecommunications infrastructure community up to date on all the latest happenings at NJFX. Highlights include NJFX’s effort to bring millennials and digital natives into the infrastructure side of telecommunications.

NJFX Founder and CEO Gil Santaliz participated in a virtual session entitled “Community: Subsea” along with Andy Bax, COO of Seaborn Networks; Ian Clarke, VP Global Submarine Sales at Ciena; and Laureen Cook, executive TMT adviser at Extelcon. The focus was on the latest transatlantic cable projects, which are entering a renewal phase. This new phase is being powered by new business models, including investment by OTTs, along with technological advances that could open up new routes.

Santaliz added that content, streaming and broadcasting players leading the charge for new levels of connectivity are helping to enable the current (virtual) state of affairs stating, “If I’m not there, I want to feel like I’m there, and broadcasting lets me do that. You need that connectivity to make that work.”

###

About NJFX:

Hurricane Preparedness in the Age of COVID-19

NJFX Blog / Sarah Kurtz

Hurricane Preparedness in the Age of COVID-19

June 1, 2020

As hurricane season looms, NJFX is ready. Of course, as a Cable Landing Station (CLS) campus, we already have a detailed disaster recovery plan to address various natural disasters, but how about a natural disaster in times of a global pandemic? For most of the world, this situation is completely uncharted territory. But the NJFX team considered this unusual dynamic well before hurricane season started and established a detailed plan with proper COVID-19 safety in mind.

We are living in unprecedented times due to COVID, but NJFX is handling the pandemic with the team’s usual forward-thinking approach. Much of the industry is still operating at limited capacities despite being deemed as ‘essential’, meaning they can get the resources where they are needed, but might be slower to do so with fewer employees. This makes the NJFX team’s proactiveness all the more valuable. We already have established supply chains and processes to ensure what we need is available and can be provided quickly. It is this focus on proactiveness that led our team to develop the following plan that goes into effect 24 to 72 hours before severe weather hits the area:

Daily operations team meetings to review the storm’s status, and the potential impact it could have.
Inventory of the supplies on hand across key areas of the facility.
This preparation includes making sure there is enough food to last a minimum of 72 hours for two people to remain on-site during the hurricane, if needed. All non-critical employees will remain at home.
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. The process is in place with supply companies to get fuel on-site if needed and make sure they are ready to deliver. If necessary, NJFX will have a fuel truck on standby parked at the facility. 24 hours before the storm, our team will conduct a controlled switch to the generator to ensure it is working properly.
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 switch gear in the building.
Maintain clear lines of communication with vendors to ensure support.
Coordinate with our Homeland Security representative; if an emergency arises.
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.

“At the end of the day, very few companies in our area are considering hurricanes as a major threat,” says Gil Santaliz, NJFX CEO. “But hurricanes do hit the Northeast, and can have a major impact as the state of New Jersey experienced with Hurricane Sandy. But that is what sets us apart; we’re ready and dedicated to ensuring our customers, employees and vendors are prepared and safe.”

COVID-Protected and Ready

Our hurricane preparedness plan and protocols are in addition to the existing COVID-19 measures our team already put in place. We are checking temperatures upon entrance to the building, ensuring that all individuals entering have a mask, and are limiting the number of people present in the building to ensure proper social distancing. NJFX Access and Administrative Manager, Lisa Edelstein is also working to ensure the safety of NJFX employees and customers that need to be in the building, both during COVID and in case of a hurricane-related emergency. She has plans in place to send notices to customers on how NJFX is handling things in the event of a storm to keep our community informed, reassured, and updated throughout the event. She also oversees site access and limits building access as appropriate.

And while all operations-based preparedness measures are critical to avoiding any and all downtime, NJFX also puts an emphasis on giving our employees and customers peace of mind. The current global situation is stressful in and of itself, add a hurricane on top of that and things can get intense. We put our employees top of mind and want to ensure they are protected, safe and following safety protocols.

“Our priority is to make sure our employees and their families are okay above all else,” said Ryan Imkemeier, Cable Landing Station Manager. “If an employee’s family has to evacuate due to a storm, then they’ll want the peace of mind knowing that their family is safe and has a family readiness plan in place.”

This high level of preparedness is what sets NJFX apart. We consider these uncertainties before they become a true threat. Our team has orchestrated a “full-court press” with all team members to ensure that there is no impact in the case of an emergency. And this planning is all the more important during times that are already uncertain and stressful without the presence of severe weather. The NJFX team is prepared and here to help.

###

About NJFX:

A Shifting Economy Means a New Look at Majors, Job Outlook Post High School

NJFX Blog / Sarah Kurtz

A Shifting Economy Means a New Look at Majors, Job Outlook Post High School

200 Students Attend Presentation on Internet Infrastructure Careers

May 28, 2020

Wall Township, NJ – As the economy changes course, we see many different trends emerging. Careers that were attractive pre-pandemic may not be as enticing today. Many kids in high school and post secondary schools are shifting their focus to jobs that withstand economic uncertainty. Among them: the connections that have been keeping all of us online. The internet did not break. It is strong and resilient and reliable enough to withstand a major global shift to a remote workforce and student body. The largest factor contributing to this, is the infrastructure in place that keeps us connected: the plumbing of the internet.

It was the topic of a virtual career presentation hosted by NJFX recently. Panelists included new “virtual” intern Amanda Kadunce, a marketing student at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). Amanda joined NJFX on May 18th and will assist in a wide variety of projects including sales and marketing initiatives. She is the first intern at NJFX who will be working 100% remotely. NJFX was pleased to accommodate this unique internship for unique times.

NJFX General Manager Felix Seda, recently named to Capacity Media’s “Power 100” list, was also a panelist. “Many companies have canceled their internship programs, but we have found that this new reality can enable more opportunities for young people who do not have to be in close, physical proximity to the workplaces that employ them for a great learning experience,” states Seda. “In addition, being able to bring her experience to younger kids was a great first project for Amanda to dive into.”

“I enjoyed being available to mentor students who are exploring careers, as I am currently. I am only a few steps ahead of them and I hope they were able to relate some of my experiences to their own decision making,” adds Amanda Kadunce, NJFX intern.

Sarah Kurtz, Business Development Manager was also part of the presentation. Each of the panelists provided information about the internet infrastructure industry, including details about NJFX’s CLS colocation campus.

More than 200 students with interest in STEM, business and marketing attended the presentation. “This was a great opportunity for our students to learn more about careers available that they may have not known existed, as well as personal insight from three NJFX representatives in various stages of their careers,” comments Sean Cronin, Assistant Principal and Supervisor for the Math and Science Departments at Matawan Regional High School. “The students had great questions and seemed engaged and interested in the topic.”

###

About NJFX:

NJFX Weighs in on Scaling Content Delivery at Virtual Summit

NJFX Blog / Sarah Kurtz

NJFX Weighs in on Scaling Content Delivery at Virtual Summit

The online event is a confluence of the technology and business that enables online publishers to reach audiences at scale

May 4, 2020

In this brave new virtual world, even the less than tech-savvy are finding the need to embrace a digital way of life. Whether it is a video conference, telehealth appointment or virtual classroom, companies and even individual Americans, are diving into an accelerated digital transformation of their lives. Just a few months ago, commuters caused highways to fill bumper to bumper with cars. Today, the traffic jams are on the internet, with spikes and increases in usage, all being delivered on home ISPs versus robust on-site infrastructure complete with an IT department.

The challenge has been providing that enterprise-level of connectivity to a home-based workforce. Secondarily, is the increased traffic in entertainment services, gaming, streaming, and the like, due to stay home directives. Both will no doubt be a major topic of discussion at the Content Delivery Summit.

The one-day Content Delivery Summit is “a featured online event at Streaming Media East Connect 2020”. The Summit serves as a unique opportunity for infrastructure leaders at all layers of the internet “stack”, to meet. Goals include ensuring alignment and attaining a complete picture of the largest distributed compute networks and service platforms in the world.

NJFX General Manager Felix Seda will be part of the panel that builds off the keynote address and kicks off the day. According to the event agenda, “the session will focus on the real-world availability of the fundamental infrastructure services that underpin all CDN operations, as well as the complexities to consider when deploying POPs around the world.”

The panel includes:

Moderator: Dom Robinson, Director and Creative Firestarter, id3as and Contributing Editor, StreamingMedia.com, UK
Speaker: Felix Seda, General Manager, NJFX
Speaker: Elsa Pine, Global Sales Executive, Emerging Technologies, Edge Infrastructure, EdgeConneX
Speaker: Lily Yusupova, Strategic Account Executive, Schneider Electric
Speaker: Andy Bax, COO, Seaborn Networks

To register for the event, please click here.

###

About NJFX:

South American Subsea Cable Delegation Looked to the NJFX CLS Campus as a Model for New Projects

NJFX Blog / Sarah Kurtz

South American Subsea Cable Delegation Looked to the NJFX CLS Campus as a Model for New Projects

April 14, 2020

NJFX’s CLS campus is serving as an international model for subsea connectivity. A delegation of officials from the South American countries of Chile and Ecuador visited the campus earlier this year to learn more about achieving an optimal model of interconnection for future projects. The delegation visited the campus before the COVID-19 crisis in the U.S., and since NJFX is a designated critical infrastructure site, we quickly became even busier – implementing emergency response plans, enacting additional safety measures, helping our clients augment their capacity and offering free cross-connects so that clients can deploy diversity within their networks. As we reflect on the past month, we think it’s time to share a positive side of why we engineered and designed the NJFX CLS campus in the way we did and how it has become an example for other countries. All of this, in the spirit of building resilient ecosystems that our entire industry can use for collaboration, advancement and innovation.

Considered a reverse trade mission, the visit was part of a delegation to the United States facilitated by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. The mission was in large part a feasibility study for a planned project to connect the west coast of South America to Asia via subsea cable. This project has been dubbed the “Asia South America Digital Gateway”.

The goals include assisting Chilean and Ecuadorian government decision-makers to better grasp considerations such as best practices and factors to consider when selecting telecommunications service and technology providers. The added benefit for the U.S. is positioning American providers in these markets for new projects. NJFX was chosen as a facility to highlight by the organizers of the trade delegation because of its strategic location and proximity to New York City.

Mike Sauer, VP Americas Partner & Federal for Aqua Comms met with the group and discussed why Aqua Comms made the choice to land its Havfrue/AEC-2 subsea cable for its partners, such as Facebook and Google at NJFX. John Hayduk, formerly COO for Tata Communications, now a partner of NJFX, also presented and met with the delegation.

“We are pleased to know that NJFX is being looked at as an industry standard when it comes to an interconnected CLS campus. Our location just outside of congested New York, but still within 60 miles of one of the most active telecommunications hubs in the world, is crucial to our day-to-day operations,” commented Sarah Kurtz, NJFX’s Business Development Manager. “Members of the delegation were most interested in facility operations, as well as security and backup power systems.”

The delegation also met with U.S. government agencies, regulators, financing organizations, industry associations, and U.S. technology and equipment providers. Members focused on U.S. best practices in cable system design, manufacturing, installation, and regulation. Also top of mind were the technologies, services, and financing mechanisms to support subsea cable project development and implementation.

Delegation member Natalia López is the Head of the Telecommunications Development Fund Division for the government of Chile, working to drive initiatives to improve the 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.”

LATAM is a growing market for connectivity. NJFX’s team is highly engaged and invested in the growth throughout Central/South America. The NJFX team also met with other industry leaders at Capacity LATAM 2020 to discuss the latest trends and challenges for the region – as showcased on conference panels including:

Regional Peering Update: Evaluating the Evolution of Multi-Lateral Peering in Latin America
What are the Challenges to Meet the Boom in Demand for Data Centre and Cloud Computing Services: Understanding the Roadmap to Successful Expansion

NJFX continues to drive innovation and help its carriers and subsea provider clients build their networks with maximum diversity at both the terrestrial and subsea level, avoiding traditional bottlenecks and highly congested areas such as NYC metro and Miami. For more information, visit www.njfx.net.

###

About NJFX:

Critical Infrastructure, Critical Procedures, Our Unsung Heroes for Critical Times

NJFX Blog / Sarah Kurtz

Critical Infrastructure, Critical Procedures, Our Unsung Heroes for Critical Times

March 25, 2020

When we hired our site access team, in-house electricians, critical infrastructure technicians, vendors, security team specialist, security outsource team and Cable Landing Station management, we explained that they worked at a mission critical facility, where one day we may need them to make sacrifices for the benefit of our critical infrastructure. At the time, the thought was it could be a hurricane, terrorist attack or even widespread power outage but the word “pandemic” never came up. We gave our team credentials designating them as Essential Employees with the State of New Jersey and explained it was a cautionary measure in case it was ever needed. Today, we are in the midst of a very fluid situation. With New Jersey currently having a stay at home order – we are prepared. When/if the situation changes again, our essential employees are prepared to travel to and from our facility with the proper credentials.

Our site access team is keeping the operations of NJFX in a consistent, reliable and steady state. We are busier than ever, assisting our clients and partners to deploy and augment their communication infrastructures during this time of increased bandwidth needs and to further ensure they have diverse, reliable routes in place. We added a new member to the operations team this week because we knew our bench would need to deepen as this crisis unfolds. Our team is busy getting customers installed with new fiber projects, cages and assisting vendors as they perform their preventative maintenance programs to ensure we are ready. These NJFX employees are the unsung heroes that don’t travel to conferences or coordinate events at the CLS Campus, they just keep everything operating smoothly to make sure our critical infrastructure is supported and protected so the rest of us can work from home, take virtual classes and even attend live streamed religious services.

These critical team members prefer to keep their anonymity and not be named or shown or recognized in any way, including for this article, but we wanted to say THANK YOU to all of them for doing what they do for us in our time of need. They have families, friends and full lives with varied interests. Today, they are at the NJFX CLS colocation campus, making all of us their priority during these uncertain times.

We say thank you to all of the essential employees at work today for making the sacrifice so our connected world can stay that way in a critical moment in time.

###

About NJFX:

NJFX Earns Second Consecutive Year as a HIPAA Compliant CLS

NJFX Blog / Sarah Kurtz

NJFX Earns Second Consecutive Year as a HIPAA Compliant CLS

The Facility is the Only HIPAA Certified CLS in North America, as Global Health Initiatives Become Crucial amid COVID-19 Pandemic

March 16, 2020

Wall Township, NJ – NJFX has been certified for a second consecutive year as the only Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant cable landing station in North America. This renewed certification demonstrates NJFX’s continued leadership in the telecommunications industry. This certification reflects the most stringent standards for data centers in the industry and is required for all facilities hosting medical records. The designation takes on added significance as international agencies exchange information across global networks with sensitive medical data to battle the current pandemic of COVID-2019 (Coronavirus).

In addition to the HIPAA renewal, NJFX has taken several steps at its facility to combat spread of the virus. Most notably, fever testing upon arrival to the facility. As per CDC recommended guidelines, NJFX will require that guests visiting the site are illness/fever free for a minimum of two days prior to arriving. Individuals who have recently traveled are asked to refrain from visiting for a minimum of seven days. The company will limit non-essential employees and visitors. To make sure our facility remains fully operational for all, we will support our key customers in getting classifications for essential employees in the event of widespread quarantines.

NJFX will offer face masks for those outside visitors. Hygiene advisory signage has been installed throughout the facility, including all restrooms. All commonly touched objects are being cleaned and disinfected regularly and frequently. Surfaces in the facility’s restrooms are touch-free using automatic flush toilets, hands-free faucets, and hand dryers. NJFX has also instituted a “No Handshake” policy until further notice.

These policies and procedures are being spearheaded by Lisa Edelstein, the Site Access and Administration Manager for NJFX. She was also instrumental in attaining and retaining the facility’s HIPAA designation. Edelstein is an experienced compliance, security, logistics and administrative professional and is critical in NJFX’s day-to-day operations, functioning as the main point of contact and manager of:

All site security and compliance designations, including HIPAA, SSAE16/18 Type II, and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Critical Infrastructure
All vendor relationships
IT network administration, including information security
Site access
Customer Support and communications
Employee, Site Access, Customer and Company policies and procedures

Lisa is a member of New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC). The organization focuses on cybersecurity information sharing, threat analysis and incident reporting. NJCCIC also works to make the state more resilient to cyber-attacks, promote awareness of cyber threats and facilitate adoption of best practices. In addition, Lisa oversees all DHS procedures at NJFX and is a designated DHS clearance holder for the company, allowing her to be a point of contact with federal officials. She also holds a certificate in Infrastructure Protection from TEEX (The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service), a recognized leader in the delivery of emergency response, homeland security, and economic development. Lisa engages in continued training from both TEEX and DHS to remain vigilant in threat assessment and response.

“Keeping our facility safe and secure is paramount to me. I have open lines of communication with federal officials and eagerly participate in training offered in areas of disaster recovery, active threats and other safety scenarios,” comments Lisa. “NJFX’s goal is to ensure customer requirements are met with the highest standards. My team works to maintain industry protocols and establish standards of excellence that the NJFX customer community has come to expect.”

NJFX is the only Cable Landing Station (CLS) colocation campus in the U.S offering Tier 3, carrier-neutral data center capabilities, with seven terrestrial and four subsea routes available to customers. To learn more, contact [email protected].

###

About NJFX:

NJFX Hires Ryan Imkemeier to Manage CLS Services

NJFX Blog / Sarah Kurtz

NJFX Hires Ryan Imkemeier to Manage CLS Services

Febraury 17, 2020

NJFX, the only Cable Landing Station (CLS colocation campus in the U.S.) offering Tier 3, carrier-neutral data center capabilities, announces today the hiring of Ryan Imkemeier as the new Cable Landing Station Manager. Mr. Imkemeier, as a twenty year veteran in this evolving subsea industry, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience related to new open cable multi-vendor to NJFX clients. His specific knowledge that subsea operators need to ensure operational efficiency at the CLS relate to design, implementation and maintenance of Submarine Line Terminal Equipment (SLTE) for subsea fiber and Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) gear for fiber backhaul.

In this complex subsea environment, the overall systems for subsea cables are powered by Power Feed Equipment (PFE), which physically powers the cable across the ocean on a series of repeaters via a copper core and shifts data traffic with intelligent branching units. This critical component of the system becomes a life safety issue when the unplanned occurs, such as shunt faults or full fiber cuts. Depending on the severity and the extent of the pre-planning, stringent protocols must be followed in coordination with the system Network Operations Center (NOC), subsea ships and the experienced CLS Stations.

Proactively, the front-haul conduit systems connecting the CLS to the beach manhole need close supervision to ensure system integrity. All of these critical systems need the varied technical expertise that Mr. Imkemeier brings to NJFX.

“NJFX is proud to have Mr. Imkemeier join the NJFX team,” said Gil Santaliz. “We have worked with him over the last few years as he was part of TGN cable system and supported the setting up of the Seaborn subsea system in the Tata CLS.”

The addition of Mr. Imkemeier to the team further demonstrates NJFX’s high dedication to ensuring customer projects and solutions are deployed and maintained to the utmost quality and resilience. By adding a team member specifically dedicated to the oversight of subsea cable and network projects as they relate to NJFX’s Cable Landing Station, NJFX continues to lead the industry and set itself apart.

###

About NJFX:

Re-Imagining Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging

Felix Seda

More In the News

Why the Cable Landing Station Matters

Gil Santaliz

More In the News

It’s a Wrap: ITW 2020 a VIRTUAL Success!

More In the News

Hurricane Preparedness in the Age of COVID-19

###

More In the News

A Shifting Economy Means a New Look at Majors, Job Outlook Post High School

More In the News

NJFX Weighs in on Scaling Content Delivery at Virtual Summit

Felix Seda

More In the News

South American Subsea Cable Delegation Looked to the NJFX CLS Campus as a Model for New Projects

Gil Santaliz

More In the News

Critical Infrastructure, Critical Procedures, Our Unsung Heroes for Critical Times

More In the News

NJFX Earns Second Consecutive Year as a HIPAA Compliant CLS

More In the News

NJFX Hires Ryan Imkemeier to Manage CLS Services

Ryan Imkemeier

More In the News

Clients

Follow Us

Hello!

Let's have a chat

Learn how we helped 100 top brands gain success.