Enabling subsea connectivity with DCI network racks

Subsea cable networks form the digital backbone of our connected world, enabling over 95% of international data traffic. These cables cross continents and oceans to support everything from financial transactions to video streaming, forming the hidden infrastructure behind today’s global digital economy.

At the terrestrial end of these vast undersea systems, cable landing stations (CLS) play a critical role. These highly secure facilities are where submarine cables interface with national and regional fibre networks. Within them, space is at a premium — yet performance and reliability are non-negotiable. This is where compact, high-performance infrastructure becomes essential.

In response to these demands, Rainford, part of the Telenco Group, has engineered a DCI network rack tailored to the unique requirements of CLS environments. Its design supports dense cable deployments while maintaining a minimal footprint — offering operators a scalable and sustainable solution for future-ready interconnection.

Bridging subsea and terrestrial networks: the function of CLS

A cable landing station acts as a physical and logical interface between long-haul submarine systems and terrestrial fibre networks. Positioned at coastal entry points, these secure facilities receive and manage data traffic carried across continents, transitioning it into national or metro-level transport layers.

The importance of these interconnection hubs is growing with the proliferation of cloud services, data centre interconnect (DCI) networks, and edge computing infrastructure. As bandwidth demand rises, CLS sites must handle increasingly high-density optical connections with strict space, security, and cooling constraints.

This requires infrastructure that is both technically advanced and spatially optimised. Conventional telecom racks often fall short of the unique design pressures within CLS environments. What is needed is a solution purpose-built to support dense fibre termination, precise cable routing, and physical robustness — all within a compact, easy-to-integrate format.

Designing for high-density and compactness

Optimising every millimetre

The Rainford DCI rack is built on a dense 600 x 600 mm footprint, offering maximum capacity within minimal floor space. Its extended front and rear doors are designed with a 70 mm depth offset, which increases the available internal space without enlarging the rack’s footprint. This means operators can benefit from additional usable volume while preserving valuable floor area in space-constrained CLS environments. Its 84SU height and ETSI-standard front and rear mounting profiles provide flexibility for telecom-grade equipment. Adjustable mounting depths enable precise configuration, while robust steel construction ensures structural integrity over time.
 

Smart cabling architecture

Effective cable management is essential in any high-density environment. The Rainford rack includes a top panel with integrated cable ingress channels, fitted with radius guides and edge protection to minimise stress on optical fibres. High-density entry points allow hundreds of fibres to be routed cleanly and efficiently from overhead pathways.

On the side panels, Velcro tie points enable secure fibre optic organisation, while an internal cross-connect trough supports up to 904 fibres (2 mm) or 390 fibres (3 mm), depending on cable diameter — supporting massive terminations in compact volumes.
 

Flexible configurations for global deployments

To accommodate diverse installation needs, the Rainford DCI network rack is available in several standard configurations. It can be ordered with or without doors, giving operators the flexibility to adapt to site-specific constraints. Retrofit door kits are also offered separately, enabling post-installation upgrades without requiring full system replacement.

For international deployments, wooden transport crates are available to ensure secure shipment and protection of the rack during long-distance transit — particularly for regions outside Europe (RoW). These options support seamless deployment across a wide range of cable landing station environments worldwide.

 

Airflow and thermal optimisation

Thermal management is supported through slotted front and rear doors, optimised to encourage passive airflow. This airflow strategy supports deployments where active cooling is constrained or airflow paths are fixed, typical in retrofit or modular CLS build-outs.

Supporting high-capacity interconnection at CLS

As CLS environments evolve to accommodate higher data rates and expanded connectivity, the Rainford rack is designed to seamlessly host the critical elements of a Data Center Interconnect (DCI) infrastructure. It supports integration with equipment such as coherent optical transponders and compact platforms like Ciena’s Waveserver Ai, which deliver up to 2.4 Tb/s in a single rack unit.

The rack’s open top and base architecture enables high-density cabling from both subsea and terrestrial pathways, allowing for clean segregation and simplified routing. This configuration is key when managing large volumes of patchcords or cross-connects in tiered network designs.

Whether handling long-haul links to core data centres or short-reach connections to metro and edge nodes, the Rainford rack’s modularity and high-capacity cable support make it ideally suited for the demands of CLS operations. It provides operators with a scalable platform that adapts to the increasing need for bandwidth and physical consolidation.

Sustainable manufacturing and compliance

In addition to its technical performance, the Rainford DCI network rack reflects Telenco Group’s commitment to responsible manufacturing and environmental stewardship.

 

The rack is coated using a polyester powder coating process, which offers enhanced durability compared to conventional wet paint. This method eliminates solvent emissions, reduces waste and provides a robust finish that withstands the corrosive conditions often present in coastal CLS environments.

 

Production facilities also leverage on-site nitrogen generation systems, lowering the carbon footprint associated with gas transportation and contributing to overall process efficiency. These choices reflect a broader drive towards sustainable industrial practices across Telenco’s European manufacturing network.

 

Certified to ISO 9001:2015 and designed in accordance with ETSI ETS 300 119-3, the Rainford rack not only meets the highest standards of quality but does so while aligning with modern environmental expectations.
 

Futureproofing connectivity at the edge of the ocean

The Rainford DCI network rack is more than a passive enclosure — it is a critical enabler of high-capacity connectivity where it matters most: at the edge of the global network. Designed for the stringent demands of cable landing stations, it combines compactness, durability and intelligent cable management to support both current and future DCI architectures.

Its minimal footprint and high-density fibre support make it ideal for environments where every square metre counts. The rack’s modular design and robust construction ensure long-term performance, while integrated features simplify deployment and maintenance for operators and installers alike.

By embedding sustainability into its materials and production processes, Rainford offers a rack that aligns with the evolving expectations of responsible telecom infrastructure — helping to connect continents while respecting local and global environments. As the volume of global data continues to rise, and as DCI networks extend across terrestrial and subsea domains, the Rainford rack stands ready — a durable, scalable and forward-looking solution to help build the networks of tomorrow.