Radius and its regional telecom partner Cyta have also completed work to establish dual landing facilities in Cyprus, and to implement high-bandwidth end-to-end connectivity from Cyprus to the US.

The commissioning of Poseidon provides unprecedented opportunities to the developing oil and gas industry in the region.  For the first time, companies can create their development plans for deep-water production with the certainty that the benefits of fiber optic capacity are available and can be easily extended to their platforms.

CSnet International, Inc., the initial tenant on Poseidon, and whose existing Offshore Communications Backbone (OCB) provided an integral fiber segment for the Poseidon network, will begin migrating scientific traffic to Poseidon in April.  CSnet will use Poseidon to more efficiently offer oceanographic, hydrographic and seismic data to all interested parties on a near real-time basis.

There are several key network facts and benefits to the network:

• The POSEIDON network extends for some 800 km from two shore landings in Cyprus, creating a fiber ring that borders the Cypriot EEZ, and enveloping the offshore oil and gas lease blocks established for development by the Republic of Cyprus.

• The Poseidon network is designed as a trunk and branch system, enabling additional fiber extensions and alternate landings as new areas for development are opened outside Cypriot waters and as customer requirements are expanded. 

• Secure, high availability fiber services are easily extended to and between platforms, and can provide the backbone for additional services necessary for surrounding operations. 

• The Radius operating model will offer high capacity managed broadband services, end-to-end global capacity and 24x7 network monitoring and support.

“With the Poseidon system now live, a strategic goal is realized, that of providing secure, high bandwidth, fiber optic capabilities throughout this highly critical oil and gas environment”, Jim Byous, President of Radius Oceanic Communications, Inc., states. “The collaborative planning and implementation efforts of the Radius, Cyta and CSnet International teams have achieved an industry first, bringing a widely accessible submarine fiber network into operation in advance of full oil and gas production. Planning, monitoring, and exploration functions will benefit greatly and we are excited about the benefits these capabilities will bring to deep-water operators in the region."

Cyta’s CEO, Dr Aristos Riris, says of Poseidon, “We have been pleased to work with Radius to bring the Poseidon network into service.  This network, which will support the Eastern Mediterranean deep water developments as they mature, meets Cyta’s objective of being a regional leader in the provision of strategic services to the oil and gas communities.”

Radius is a communications provider formed to offer broadband communications to the offshore oil and gas industry worldwide. The Radius team consists of leading industry professionals in the fields of undersea fiber optic telecommunications engineering, development and operations. The Radius project development team has participated in leading roles in the development of offshore oil and gas undersea fiber projects in the Eastern Mediterranean, West Africa, the Gulf of Mexico and the Asia Pacific regions since 2000. For more information, please visit http://www.radiusocean.com