GARR is a partner in the European SENSEI project, which aims to unlock the sensing potential of fibre optic networks to enhance the security, resilience, and efficiency of telecommunications infrastructure across Europe.

The project, funded by the EuropeanGARR is a partner in the European project SENSEI, which aims to develop the sensing potential of fibre optic networks to enhance the security, resilience, and efficiency of telecommunications infrastructure in Europe, while also harnessing them as large-scale environmental sensors. The project, funded by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe programme, involves 15 partners from 6 European countries, with expertise in photonics, optical metrology, geosciences, and networking.

GARR plays an active role in the project, providing its high-capacity network and the know-how acquired through managing advanced optical infrastructures. This contribution will allow the technologies developed by SENSEI to be tested across thousands of kilometres of fibre already in use, without disrupting data traffic. Fibre optics can detect deformations caused by natural events or human activities, effectively transforming into a distributed network of sensors for the surrounding environment.

SENSEI will explore real-world use cases in diverse environments: from the Mediterranean Sea to volcanic and seismic areas in Italy and Iceland, as well as metropolitan networks. The synergy between academic partners, metrology institutes, and network operators will enable the integration of collected data into infrastructure monitoring, paving the way for early warning systems and a deeper understanding of geophysical phenomena.

To learn more about SENSEI, the first online workshop dedicated to presenting the project (Smart European Networks for Sensing the Environment and Internet Quality) will take place on 10 March, from 14:00 to 16:30. Further information is available at this link.