Hibernia Atlantic renames GFN as the Global Express Platform /Colt opens low-latency route from Dublin to London

Global capacity provider Hibernia Atlantic has rebranded its Global Financial Network (GFN) as the Global Express Platform. While the name has changed, the network continues to supply reliable, high-speed, low-latency services to the financial community, including global broker dealers, hedge funds, and capital markets across the US, Canada, Europe and the Pacific Rim, the company says.

The Global Express Platform provides connectivity to more than 60 global exchanges and over 120 entry points around the world. In addition, the Global Express Platform offers rapid installation with five-day turnaround, the company says. The company’s Project Express transatlantic cable system between New York and London will provide a crucial element to the Global Express Platform – and perhaps, inspired the new name.

“Hibernia’s Global Express Platform connects high frequency traders to global exchanges along the lowest latency, purpose built network,” said Joe Hilt, vice president of sales, North America, for Hibernia Atlantic. “With direct access to international interconnection facilities, Hibernia provides global businesses the source for fast and secure financial connections. The Global Express Platform is an exclusive, custom designed network built on Hibernia’s diverse footprint. More customers in both the financial and enterprise industries are requiring ultra-low latency connections around the globe. Our Global Express Platform caters to these specific needs.”

European network services provider Colt says its new network route from Dublin to London is online. The route offers improved resilience, lower costs, and “the fastest possible speed” between Ireland and mainland Europe, Colt asserts.

Colt is quoting latency of 4.267 ms between Colt nodes in London and Dublin, with connectivity up to 10 Gbps. Colt says it currently carries over 500 Gbps of traffic across the Irish Sea. The new Dublin-London link extends Colt’s total capacity between the two cities to 4.8 Tbps.

The new route, which is part of Colt’s wider strategic network investment plan for Europe, incorporates the new Sea Fibre Networks cable, CeltixConnect, which is based on the Infinera DTN platform.

Colt says it’s not done in Ireland. The service provider also has an extension from Dublin to Cork on its roadmap, with completion of this new connection expected toward the end of this year.

In addition to supplying connectivity to financial services firms, Colt says it counts the majority of multinationals based in Ireland with network services. It provides last-mile fiber to more than 250 locations in Dublin, according to Gary Keogh, director, Colt Ireland.

“Ireland is an exciting place for Colt because of the enormous success of its ICT sector which continues to grow, particularly in the Dublin area,” said Keogh. Our continued investment here will ensure Ireland remains right at the heart of Europe’s network infrastructure and the location of choice for large enterprises across a number of sectors.”