Alcatel and Elettra have signed a contract with Italy’s public scientific institution Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) for a 5 million Euro project to deploy a submarine cable network for the research activities carried out via the NEutrino Mediterranean Observatory (NEMO) telescope.

Elettra is a Telecom Italia Group company specialized in survey, installation and maintenance of submarine cable networks.

The new cable system will enable data transmission from NEMO to the researchers’ stations as they investigate data for monitoring astrophysical and geophysical subjects such as bioluminescent phenomena, the marine environment, and seismic activity.

Alcatel’s submarine network will offer a platform bringing high bandwidth connectivity and power to the new undersea neutrino telescope module prototype located off the coast of Sicily, at sea depths of 3,500 meters. With an onshore station based in Portopalo di Capo Passero (Siracusa, Italy), NEMO will work for its final configuration as a detector of neutrinos, which are elementary particles journeying for great distances through the universe without being deflected by magnetic fields or absorbed. This characteristic makes them ideal for investigating phenomena occurring in the universe, as information can be traced back towards the emitting source.

To detect the light and calculate the neutrino directions with the best possible angular accuracy, NEMO will rely on over 4,000 photo multiplier sensors serving as lenses for data collection on multiple subjects including colliding galaxies and exploding stars, as well as will supply the technological infrastructure for oceanographic and geophysical studies, such as earthquake monitoring and predictions.

“This new achievement further confirms Alcatel’s ability to meet traditional and new market demands leveraging a recognized expertise in the submarine market,” said Jean Godeluck, President of Alcatel’s submarine network activities. “Submarine networks are gaining momentum in supporting scientific installations thanks to the versatility they offer both in terms of connectivity and power distribution.”

Alcatel will design, manufacture and commission the submarine cable system, based on dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) technology, with the ability to be upgraded easily and cost-effectively in the future. Elettra will design the route and perform surveys and installation of the submarine cable system.