2008 Press Releases

BT collaborates with Tyndall to meet the bandwidth challenge
24.10.2008

Dr Jimmy Devins TD, Minister for Science Technology and Innovation, visiting Tyndall National Institute on October 23rd 2008 announced that Tyndall at University College Cork, one of Ireland's leading research facilities, has partnered with BT to conduct world-leading research and development (R&D) into advanced optical networks.

Welcoming the collaboration, Minister Devins said "Projects such as the BT/Tyndall Research Collaboration justify the Government's investment under the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation. Cutting edge research of this quality will enable Ireland to continue to compete on the global stage; and the development and diffusion of such expertise will ensure that it remains a compelling location for inward investment in the high technology sector, which is essential for our future prosperity."

Considering that YouTube currently uses the same bandwidth capacity that the whole of the Internet used in 2001, and the increase in other bandwidth-hungry services such as High-definition TV and video on demand, network traffic is estimated to increase 100 fold by 2018. BT and Tyndall National Institute are focused on finding solutions that will enable more information to be sent over greater distances to meet this bandwidth challenge.
 
"The Photonics Centre, at Tyndall National Institute is one of the leading photonics research centres in Europe. Our researchers are working on sophisticated technologies that will enable the next-generation of telecom networks to deliver information at significantly higher speed and lower cost than is possible today", says Prof. Paul Townsend, Head of Photonics at Tyndall.

As part of the collaboration BT has provided access to substantial network infrastructure comprising nearly 900km of optical fibre. This takes cutting-edge photonics research out of the laboratory and into the real environment helping bridge the gap between innovation and commercial application.

The optical fibre which is looped between the Photonics Systems Laboratory at the Tyndall Institute in Cork City and Clonakilty is being used for trials of novel photonic techniques to efficiently transport optical data at extremely high bit-rates over extended distances across telecommunication networks.

The BT Design research team from Adastral Park, sponsored by the BT Innovate R&D programme, has worked very closely with the Tyndall research team to ensure that their joint experimental activities are not only world-leading but also reflect commercial imperatives.
 
"It is the type of public private partnership that will help deliver on the Irish Government's ambition to be internationally renowned for the excellence of its research," said Chris Clark, CEO, BT "We are delighted to support Tyndall in one of the most exciting areas of network development."

"Thanks to BT providing us with an extensive network,  we can validate the technologies we have developed and equally importantly the collaboration can confirm our belief that lower cost, flexible, energy efficient networks have real commercial benefits," says Dr. Andrew Ellis, Head of Transmission and Sensors Group.

The objective of Tyndall, which was set up in 2004 as a joint initiative between the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment and University College Cork, is to create a research institute that will become a focal point of Information and Communications Technology in Ireland, to support industry and academia nationally and to increase the number of qualified graduate students for the 'knowledge economy'.
 
"Supporting third-level research is a natural extension of our other work in education," commented Chris Clark. "With the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition we have driven interest among Irish schools in the practical application of science. With R&D programmes like Tyndall we take that interest all the way through to Ireland's universities."

For BT this latest initiative is part of a mutually beneficial partnership between BT and Tyndall researchers that goes back more than two decades. The Photonic Systems Group at the Tyndall Institute was originally based at BTs R&D facility in Adastral Park, and migrated to the Tyndall Institute five years ago. "For Tyndall, this invaluable collaboration with BT represents a model that we would like to employ with other Irish companies as part of our innovation strategy", says Prof. Roger Whatmore, Tyndall CEO.

Photonics is one of the fastest growing high-tech industries and a natural area of interest for BT as it continues to innovate and explore the potential of optical networks.
 
About Tyndall National Institute
Tyndall National Institute is one of Europe's leading research centres, specialising in ICT hardware. It was established in 2004, bringing together researchers from the NMRC, UCC and CIT. Tyndall has a critical mass of over 350 researchers, engineers, students and support staff placing a particular emphasis on quality, accomplishment and the delivery to Ireland of value from research. Tyndall s areas of expertise range from micro-nanoelectronics, microsystems, and photonics to theory modeling supported by a central fabrication facility.

About BT
BT is one of the world's leading providers of communications solutions and services operating in 170 countries.  Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to our customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband and internet products and services and converged fixed/mobile products and services.  BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, Openreach, BT Retail and BT Wholesale.

In the year ended 31 March 2008, BT Group's revenue was £20,704 million with profit before taxation and specific items of £2,506 million.

British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group.  BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York.  

Pictured at the Photonics Centre at Tyndall were: Dr Jimmy Devins TD, Minister for Science Technology and Innovation, Dr Andrew Ellis, Tyndall and and Paul Gunning BT.

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