New €5 million project will transform fibre optic cables into active sensors, safeguarding networks from damage

Posted on: 14 March 2025

The Intent and Context-aware Optical Network (ICON) project, a three-year initiative funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme to a value of approximately €5 million, is led by a team based in the CONNECT Research Ireland Centre for Future Networks hosted at Trinity College Dublin.

ICON will transform global communication networks by embedding innovative sensing capabilities into terrestrial and subsea fibre infrastructures.

These enhancements will enable networks to deliver advanced services in fields such as geological monitoring, weather forecasting, oceanography, and urban mobility. By transforming fibre infrastructures into vast sensing systems, ICON will also redefine how networks operate and evolve in the coming decades.

The project aims to transform fibre optic cables from passive data carriers into active sensors that protect critical infrastructure. While this technology can support applications such as tsunami detection and climate monitoring, its primary focus is on safeguarding telecom networks from accidental damage—such as trawlers dragging anchors or construction work—as well as deliberate threats.

Dr Aleksandra Kaszubowska-Anandarajah, Trinity, project coordinator, said: “ICON represents a bold step forward in how we conceptualise and implement optical networks. By incorporating sensing capabilities, we are moving beyond traditional communication paradigms to develop systems that are more intelligent, efficient, and adaptive.

“As fibre optic cables often run alongside gas pipelines and power lines from wind farms, this innovation will also help to secure other essential infrastructure. Given our heavy reliance on telecommunications it is vital for national security and critical infrastructure protection that we can ensure these systems are resilient.”

Revolutionising Network Capabilities

ICON’s cutting-edge technology will include:

• The development of a modular and extensible ICON intelligent sensing controller that features an intent interpreter and network digital twin.
• Advanced fibre sensing solutions to optimise transmission performance and enhance energy efficiency.
• Context-aware systems designed to monitor both the internal state of fibre networks and their surrounding environments.

These advancements will enable the creation of networks that not only provide seamless communication but also serve as tools for understanding and interacting with the physical world.

The ICON project unites leading academic and industrial partners from across Europe, including Adtran Networks SE (Germany); Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (Germany); Cyprus Research and Innovation Center Ltd (Cyprus); Brno University of Technology (Czechia); VPIphotonics GmbH (Germany); Tallinn University of Technology (Estonia); Tampnet AS (Norway); Technical University of Denmark (Denmark); LightSenseAI (Ireland).

Professor Dan Kilper, Director of CONNECT at Trinity College Dublin, and Professor Marco Ruffini, a CONNECT Principal Investigator, are also integral contributors to the project.

Professor Kilper highlighted the collaborative nature of the project, adding: “ICON exemplifies the power of international collaboration, bringing together some of the brightest minds in academia and industry to tackle challenges that span technology, society, and the environment.”

Find out more about the ICON project at the project website. 

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