Consortium GARR is the Italian national research and education network (NREN) that operates a high-capacity optical network connecting universities, research centres, and other institutions. It manages advanced optical infrastructures and provides telecommunications services, networking expertise, and innovation support for the research and education community.

Real-World Validation of Distributed Sensing on High-Capacity Optical Infrastructures

GARR contributes to the SENSEI project by offering test beds on its advanced optical network infrastructure and by providing its extensive experience in managing large-scale fibre-optic systems. Its high-capacity fibre network provides a real-world environment for testing and validating innovative sensing technologies that do not disrupt data traffic.
Through its expertise in optical network operations and monitoring, GARR supports the integration of sensing capabilities into its existing infrastructure, enabling fibre networks to function as distributed environmental sensors. By combining technical knowledge with practical operational experience, GARR plays a key role in contributing to the achievement of SENSEI’s objectives: improving environmental monitoring and network quality and resilience.

Comparative Validation of Interferometric and Polarisation-Based Sensing on Live Fibre Infrastructure

GARR is currently working in collaboration with Links, Politecnico di Torino, and INRIM to set up a test ring to compare the interferometric detection techniques developed by SENSEI with those that use polarisation state. The test environment will span approximately 28 km of metropolitan fibre optic cable on the GARR backbone network.

Turning Fibre Networks into Knowledge Platforms for Research and Monitoring

Sensei is a very interesting project for GARR because it provides an opportunity to experience new sensing technologies with a dual purpose: to learn more about our network through even more detailed monitoring and to offer researchers at the various research institutions we connect with useful data for environmental monitoring.

GARR team involved in SENSEI

• Learn more about the SENSEI project on GARR.tv (Italian with English subtitles available): https://garr.tv/w/cytcj1yXmJAX5gtx3si73v
• Read more about GARR participation to SENSEI project:
  • https://www.garr.it/en/news-events/news/2847-garr-is-partner-of-the-sensei-project-the-european-initiative-on-sensing
  • https://www.garr.it/en/projects/ongoing-projects/ongoing-projects/2731-sensei
  • https://www.garrnews.it/internazionale/sensei-il-maestro-del-sensing (in Italian only)

…more to come! Stay tuned…