| Developers: | Rostelecom |
| Date of the premiere of the system: | June 2020 |
| Last Release Date: | 2022/12/27 |
| Branches: | Telecommunications and Communications |
Content |
2024
Alfa-Bank's participation in the project
In early September 2024, Alfa-Bank entered into a joint TEA Next project with Rostelecom, which provides for the construction of the Trans-Eurasian fiber-optic communication line. As part of the transaction, Alfa-Bank received 49.99% of Atlas LLC, the operator of this project.
Previously, TEA Next's partner was Veb Ventures, which had 49.99% of the Atlas operator. The fund left the joint venture in July 2023, after which Vestelcom JSC (Rostelecom's structure) consolidated 99.98% of the operator. After Alfa-Bank joined the Vestelcom project, it began to own 49.99%. Another 0.02% of the organization belongs to the general director of Atlas, Alexander Ratushny.
Andrei Fedorets, head of the Information Security Committee of the Association of Russian Banks, estimates Alfa-Bank's share in the project at 13.5 billion rubles. It is noted that the bank is pursuing financial interest: on the basis of TEA Next, companies intend to develop trunk communication in Russia, and by the end of 2025 - to extend the line to Mongolia and China.
 | Alfa-Bank is actively looking for sources of current and future profits, so there is no reason to think that it will technologically influence the development of the project: it has only financial interest, "says Fedorets, quoted by the Kommersant newspaper. |  |
Vitaly Mankevich, chairman of the all-Russian public organization "Russian-Asian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs," adds that TEA Next will provide the most modern communication opportunities. In his opinion, if the international situation normalizes, this FOCL will become a key communication tool not only with China, but also with Mongolia and the Republic of Korea. At the same time, Mankevich does not exclude the likelihood of the TEA Next project falling under sanctions at one of the stages of implementation.[1]
Completion of construction of the second stage of the Trans-Eurasian fiber optic communication line
Rostelecom completed the construction of the second stage of the Trans-Eurasian fiber-optic communication line (FIBER TEA NEXT) and announced the technical readiness of the line for the start of commercial operation. The company announced this on March 7, 2024. The high potential of this communication line allowed already at this stage to use two fibers of ultra-productive fiber-optic fiber for their own needs.
The TEA NEXT VOLS built will connect the western and eastern borders of Russia with links to the largest cities of the country and access to the borders of Russia - Mongolia, Russia - China and the coastal station of underwater communication lines in Nakhodka. The second stage of the highway stretched from St. Petersburg to Moscow. The total length of this highly sought-after section of the network is 765 km.
Based on the TEA NEXT infrastructure, it is planned to bring to the Russian market a fundamentally new set of services for leasing fiber-optic infrastructure to interested customers and the necessary additional resources for organizing the latest generation of backbone communication networks within the Russian Federation.
| | The TEA NEXT project is designed to meet the rapidly growing needs of market participants in the infrastructure of fiber-optic communication lines for the development of the digital economy of Russia. At the same time, the project forms a fundamentally different market for the provision of telecommunications infrastructure as a service for our customers, "said Mikhail Oseevsky, President of Rostelecom. It is important to note that the implementation of the project provides for the use of Russian-made components, which creates conditions for supporting domestic producers, stimulating domestic production. | |
| | This TEA NEXT fiber optic fiber will be put into operation in stages. As a result, the total length of the ground section on the territory countries will be about 11 thousand km, which is a record distance for ground trunk lines around the world. At the same time, the cost of transmission information to TEA NEXT will be significantly lower than in marine systems, due to the capacity cable and promising technical solutions used. Thus, we will ensure the need for transfer data between the regions of the Russian Federation for many years, - said the senior vice president for technical infrastructure of Rostelecom. Alexey Sapunov | |
| | Rostelecom offers potential customers to lease dark fibers and 100 Gbps channels on the ready-made segments of the TEA NEXT line of Idritz, Pskov Region - Torzhok, Tver Region, Moscow - St. Petersburg with the possibility of placing its own active equipment along the fiber-optic line, - said Natalia Kryuchkova, vice president for work with Rostelecom telecom operators . - Operational maintenance of areas and facilities of this fiber optic line is carried out by special highly qualified teams of Rostelecom, which guarantees a high level of service for end customers. | |
| | During the construction of the fiber optic line, category G.654Ye optical fibers were used, which provide the opportunity to organize the most promising and high-speed optical data transmission channels with a total throughput of 19.2 TB/s per pair of fibers, and can also be used for all promising technologies of DWDM backbone equipment, - said Atlas General Director Alexander Ratushny. | |
By the end of 2025, it is planned to complete the first stage in full, extending the line to Mongolia and China. In 2026, the entire ground part of the communication line, which is included in the second stage of construction, passing through the territory of Russia, will be fully ready. In parallel, the necessary infrastructure will be provided for international extensions of the lines included in the third stage of the project.
2023
Start of construction of the third stage
On December 12, 2023, Rostelecom announced that it would begin construction of the third stage of the trans-Eurasian fiber-optic communication line (VOLS TEA NEXT), which would stretch between the cities of Torzhok in the Tver region and Kyakhta in the Republic of Buryatia and reach the eastern border of Russia with Mongolia. The operator of the TEA NEXT project is Atlas. It is planned that the construction of this section with a total length of about 6,300 km will be completed by the end of 2025.
Thus, the first stage of the TEA NEXT project will be fully completed and the readiness of the infrastructure of the main fiber optic network between the main cities of the European part of Russia and the territory beyond the Urals and Siberia will be ensured, as well as the ability to use the TEA NEXT infrastructure for extension towards Mongolia and China.
| | The TEA NEXT project is one of the key for Rostelecom, especially taking into account the priority tasks set by the Development Strategy industries communications until 2035, approved Government of the Russian Federation in November 2023. In particular, it noted the importance of modernizing existing trunk communication networks using domestic equipment and fiber-optic cable. The project is directly aimed at increasing the export telecommunication potential countries associated with the growth of traffic transmitted between Europe and Asia the Pacific region, - said the president of Rostelecom. Mikhail Oseevsky | |
TEM NEXT customers will be able to rent dark fibers and place their own equipment at amplifying points along the route of the future fiber-optic line, which will allow organizing a new generation of trunk communication networks within the country, as well as international transit lines between different regions of the world.
Rostelecom recalled that the total length of the Russian segment of VOLS TEA NEXT is about 11 thousand km. At the end of 2022, the construction of the first stage of the communication line was completed, connecting the cities of Idritsa in the Pskov region and Torzhok in the Tver region.
The length of this section of the main communication line was about 560 km. During the construction of the new fiber-optic line, optical fibers of category G.654 were used, which are used for the first time for the construction of fiber-optic line in our country and provide the ability to organize channels up to 400 Gbps with a total throughput of up to 16 Tbit/s per pair of fibers, and can also be used for all promising technologies of DWDM backbone equipment.
The fiber optic line is planned to be put into operation in stages. The first and second stages of the first stage with a total length of about 1,400 km connecting Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as the extension between the cities of Idritsa in the Pskov region and Torzhok in the Tver region, will be put into commercial operation in the first quarter of 2024.
By the end of 2025, it is planned to complete the first stage in full, extending the line to Mongolia and China. In 2026, the entire ground part of the communication line, which is included in the second stage of construction, passing through the territory of Russia, will be fully ready. In parallel, the necessary infrastructure will be provided for international extensions of the lines included in the third stage of the project.
Alfa-Bank bought 49.99% of Atlas
Alfa-Bank bought 49.99% of Atlas (TEA NEXT operator). The partnership with this credit institution within the framework of the project for the construction of the Transevrasian fiber-optic communication line in Rostelecom was announced on October 12, 2023. At the same time, the financial and other parameters of the transaction are not disclosed. Read more here.
ВЭБ.РФ exit the project
ВЭБ.РФ left the capital of Atlas, a joint venture with Rostelecom"" for the construction of a fiber-optic line in Europa Asia-. This became known on August 9, 2023.
According to Kommersant, citing data from SPARK-Interfax, the share of VEB Ventures (formerly the structure of the state corporation ВЭБ.РФ, now the owners are hidden) was transferred to Vetselkom (100% from Rostelecom), as a result of which the latter began to control 99.98% of Atlas. Another 0.02% of Vladimir Koryagin.
It is noted that the company's exit from the joint venture was carried out on mutually beneficial terms. So, Rostelecom will continue to conduct the project, and VEB. The Russian Federation will consider the possibility of project financing of Atlas.
The general project involved, among other things, laying the fiber optic line through European countries. However, in connection with the sanctions, the plan had to be adjusted, as well as funding.
In addition, experts interviewed by the publication see the reason for leaving the joint venture in sanctions against VEB. RF, due to which there are restrictions on payments and the extension of potential sanctions to partners.
VEB and Rostelecom agreed to withdraw the state corporation from the project due to the fact that in 2022 "there was a need to adjust the project, including in terms of project financing tools," an informed source explained to the newspaper. According to him, ВЭБ.РФ "is considering the possibility of providing project financing" for this project.[2]
Completion of quantum key allocation tests on TEA NEXT infrastructure
Rostelecom, together with Atlas, has completed tests of quantum key distribution (KRK) technology and associated encryptors on the infrastructure of the first stage of the Novaya TransEurAsian Communication Line (TEA NEXT) trunk fiber-optic communication line (FOCL). Rostelecom announced this on July 11, 2023. ACK provides the highest degree of protection of data transmission channels from unauthorized access. The testing program fully complies with the goal of ensuring technological sovereignty and is based on the equipment and solutions of Russian developers.
A key feature of the TEA NEXT project is the use of promising optical fibers of the G.654E standard and G.654ULL with a attenuation of 0.175 dB/km at a wavelength of 1550 nm, while for standard optical fibers of the G.652 family, the typical attenuation value is at least 0.2 dB/km. Thus, for the first time in Russia in real operation, the CRK technology was tested on the latest generation of optical fibers.
Tests of the KRK systems manufactured by SMARTS Quanttelecom LLC and conjugate encryptors of Amicon LLC with a nominal encryption rate of up to 10 Gbps were carried out using an 85 km fiber optic fiber between two nodes of the first stage of TEA NEXT on the territory of the Central Federal District.
During tests on the TEA NEXT infrastructure, the correctness of the CRK technology and associated ciphers was checked. A data transfer session was conducted between the test nodes. The maximum recorded rate of quantum key generation was 394 bit/s with a quantum error rate below the standards.
In addition, the possibility of accumulating quantum keys in the buffer of conjugate ciphers for their use in cases where it will temporarily be impossible to form new quantum keys, for example, when carrying out attacks on CRK systems, was tested.
The rates of quantum keys generation recorded in the framework of the tests turned out to be almost twice better than the typical values of performance indicators for fiber-optic fibers of the corresponding length (85 km) using optical fibers of the previous standard (G.652). The obtained results indicate a high potential for using the TEA NEXT infrastructure to build backbone quantum networks with an increased span range between neighboring nodes, which can increase the technical and economic efficiency of projects for the development of quantum communications.
2022: Completion of the first stage "Transit Europe - Asia of the new generation"
On December 27, 2022, Rostelecom announced that Atlas had completed the construction of the first stage of the main fiber-optic communication line (VOLS) "Transit Europe - Asia of the New Generation" (TEA NEXT), connecting the cities of Idritsa in the Pskov region and Torzhok in the Tver region. The length of the first section of the main communication line was about 560 km.
During the construction of this fiber optic line, optical fibers of category G.654 were used, which are first used for the construction of fiber links in Russia and provide the ability to organize channels up to 400 Gb/s, with a total throughput of up to 16 Tb/s per pair of fibers, and can also be used for all promising technologies of DWDM trunk equipment.
It is planned that the TEA NEXT VOLS will connect the western and eastern borders of Russia with links to major cities of the country, such as Vladivostok, and access to the borders of Russia - Mongolia, Russia - China and the coastal station of underwater communication lines in Nakhodka.
| | The construction of the first stage of the main fiber-optic communication line "Transit Europe - Asia of the new generation" (TEA NEXT) was completed in spite of everything. There is an active phase of construction of the site Moscow - Torzhok - St. Petersburg and in 2023 it is planned to begin construction of the site Torzhok - - Yekaterinburg RUSSIAN FEDERATION border/Mongolia. Before commissioning, the main highway will use the first built section of the network as an independent element infrastructures in part of The European the Russian Federation. The infrastructure and resources of the TEA NEXT fiber optic fiber may be in demand not only by Rostelecom, but also by many others the Russian operators and companies. The company expects that those partners who have previously expressed their intention to use this infrastructure and will continue to cooperate, said Natalia Kryuchkova, vice president for work with telecom operators of PJSC Rostelecom.
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Rostelecom began implementing the TEA NEXT project in the summer of 2020, creating the Atlas operating company and starting construction of the first stage of the project in the Moscow - Torzhok - St. Petersburg and Torzhok - Russia/Latvia border in 2021.
Based on the TEA NEXT infrastructure, it is planned to bring to the Russian market a fundamentally different set of services for leasing fiber-optic infrastructure to interested customers and the necessary additional resources for organizing the next generation of backbone communication networks within the Russian Federation and on the transit route between Europe and Asia. Potential customers of the TEA NEXT line will be able to rent dark fibers and place their own equipment at amplification points along the route of this fiber optic line.
2021
Rostelecom and ВЭБ.РФ created a joint venture to launch a high-speed communication line for $650 million
On December 9, 2021, Rostelecom announced the creation of the Atlas project company, through which the construction of the main fiber-optic communication line (FOCL) "Transit Europe - Asia of the new generation]" (TEA NEXT) will be carried out. Read more here.
Optical Fiber Systems, together with Sumitomo Electric, launched mass production of optical fiber of the type G.654.E
The portfolio company Rusnano "Optical Fiber Systems" has launched mass production of optical fiber of the G.654.E type. The optical fiber of this standard will be used for the project of PJSC Rostelecom to build a fiber-optic communication line from the western to eastern borders of the Russian Federation under the working name TEA NEXT ("Transit Europe - Asia of the last generation"). Rusnano reported this on March 3, 2021. Read more here.
2020
The President of Rostelecom reported to Putin on the launch of a mega-project to lay the Europe-Asia communication line
Rostelecom sees additional opportunities in working in international markets, said company president Mikhail Oseevsky at a working meeting with President Vladimir Putin on August 5, 2020. The volume of traffic, the volume of information is growing in the world, and Russia can provide the simplest and most reliable way to transfer them from Europe to Asia, Oseevsky said.
| | In this regard, we are starting a large project to lay a modern high-speed line from the western borders of Russia to Vladivostok and then an underwater cable to Hong Kong and Japan, the president of Rostelecom told Putin. - The project is large-scale. The volume of investments will be approximately 40 billion rubles. | |
Considering the booklet about this project, which Mikhail Oseevsky gave him at the meeting, Vladimir Putin asked about the payback period. Five years, said the president of Rostelecom. Putin called this period pleasant "for hearing and for the eye, and for potential investors."
| | This is due to the fact that the demand is really large. And in Russia, the shortest way provides a minimum delay, "Oseevsky explained. | |
According to Mikhail Oseevsky, about half of the capacity of this line is planned to be used for domestic needs, and another half for the transmission of international traffic. This will make it possible to receive non-resource export revenue, Oseevsky emphasized. He added that the interest of partners "Rostelecom" to this both in Europe and in Asia is quite large.
It is important that small and medium-sized businesses will be actively used in the construction part, which will take place almost throughout Russia: that is, construction work will be carried out by regional participants. This is good support for them in difficult conditions, said the president of Rostelecom.
According to Oseevsky, now "Rostelecom" is completing a large program for the development of basic infrastructure in the Far East. In recent years, underwater cables were laid to Sakhalin, Kamchatka, Magadan, the Kuril Islands were also connected, and now there is an exit to the finish line by connecting Chukotka. He expressed the hope that in the summer of 2021 the ships will lay more than 2 thousand kilometers of underwater cable.
The total volume of Rostelecom's investment program by the end of 2020 will exceed 135 billion rubles, the company expects.
Start of project
On June 17, 2020, Rostelecom announced the launch of a project to build a new fiber-optic communication line (FOCL) for the transit of traffic from Europe to Asia under the working name TEA NEXT ("Transit Europe - Asia of the new generation"). The telecommunications operator will invest about $500 million in this initiative over several years.
To implement the project, Atlas was created, the operator's financial and strategic partners will join it: a Russian bank and a group of foreign investors and telecom operators. Who exactly will join the project, Rostelecom does not specify.
Rostelecom called this project unique and explained that it would provide transit system capabilities not available in any of the existing ground lines - while they are widely used in business models of marine underwater intercontinental communication lines. In addition, the construction of TEA NEXT will allow you to get a new main fiber-optic line used by all major Russian operators.
The design capacity of the new fiber optic fiber will be 96 dark fibers, which will be used by international telecom operators and global OTT companies as a transit resource for communication between Asia and Europe, and Russian operators for use in Russia.
Customers will receive from Rostelecom for long-term use (up to 20-25 years) the first level infrastructure - dark fibers with sites for placing their own active DWDM equipment along the route of the new fiber-optic line. Companies will be able to use dark fibers at their discretion and with their equipment for the entire warranty life of the cable, that is, until 2045.
The infrastructure of fiber-optic communication lines of Russian operators in the direction from west to east was built in the 1990s and 2000s, and over the next five to ten years it will need to be replaced or significantly updated, said Natalia Kryuchkova, vice president for work with Rostelecom telecom operators.[3]
The head of " Rostelecom" announced plans to build a highway
Rostelecom will build a new fiber optic line, it will pass through the whole country and be used for the transit of Internet traffic between Europe and Asia. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2020. This was reported on April 7, 2020 by RBC with reference to the president of Rostelecom Mikhail Oseevsky.
| | "This year we plan to start a large project to build a new highway from the European borders of Russia to Vladivostok and further to Hong Kong, the main Asian point of traffic exchange. The demand is very large, "said Oseevsky. | |
According to the president of Rostelecom, Internet traffic between Chinese and other Asian manufacturers and companies in Europe is currently growing at a high pace. The operator expects that some of this traffic will pass through the new line. Thus, the company will retain its market share in this international traffic.
Oseevsky added that the transit of traffic through Russia allows data transfer between Europe and Asia with a minimum delay.
The completion of the construction of the transit line is scheduled for 2023. Rostelecom has already found partners in a new project in China. The size of the investment and other details were not disclosed.
The amount of costs may amount to $600-700 million, Sergey Shavkunov, executive director of J'son & Partners Consulting, shared his assessment. This calculation is given on the condition that the company will build a redundant network, including two geographically spaced cables, from the western borders to Vladivostok.
The exchange of traffic between Europe and Asia is already carried out on the same line of Rostelecom. In addition, the company owns other communication highways. One of them connects Frankfurt am Main with the capital of Oman, Muscat (passes through Eastern Europe, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran and the Persian Gulf). Two more cables laid under water combine Nakhodka and the Japanese city of Naoetsu, and another cable - Novorossiysk and Georgian Poti[4].
Notes
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