The deployment is a new international backbone that is designed to connect Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary with EXA Infrastructure’s hyperscale network in German and Austria.

Project Visegrád is a landmark fibre deployment and seeks to transform Central European connectivity. It is aptly named after the historic political, economic and cultural alliance of Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary and represents the largest pan-European backbone fibre deployment in the region in the last 25 years.

The project will deliver new high-capacity international fibre routes to link Warsaw, Poznań, Prague, Bratislava and Budapest directly into EXA Infrastructure’s hyperscale backbone in Berlin, Frankfurt and Vienna. Alongside this, EXA Infrastructure will expand its metro fibre footprints in Warsaw, Prague, Bratislava and Berlin to connect leading carrier-neutral data centres.

“Central Europe is one of the fastest-growing digital economies in Europe, yet its international connectivity has historically lagged Western Europe,” said Jim Fagan, CEO at EXA Infrastructure. “With Project Visegrád we are building the resilient, scalable backbone needed to unlock the region’s full potential, while extending EXA’s reach into new growth markets across the Baltics, Balkans, Turkey and beyond.”

The new connectivity backbone will be built with HDPE ducts that will contain multiple microducts to maximise scalability and flexibility. EXA Infrastructure says the initial deployment will use 216-fibre Corning Ultra G.652D cable, while the microduct design enables seamless upgrades to next-generation technologies such as hollow-core fibre.

The first Project Visegrád routes are expected to be ready for service in mid-2026, with additional routes scheduled through 2027. To ensure ultra-high availability, most of the routes are within protected corridors adjacent to oil and gas infrastructure such as the, Druzhba (“friendship”) oil pipeline.

“This infrastructure will set a new benchmark for optical performance and resilience in Central Europe,” Fagan added. “It will also provide a future-proof foundation for hyperscalers, carriers and enterprises that require the highest standards of connectivity.”

The news comes shortly after several other commitments from EXA Infrastructure to expand its network footprint throughout Europe and North America.

These include the company successfully deploying a new 1,200km high-capacity fibre route to link London to Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Brussels. The project marked a significant development in strengthening Europe’s digital backbone, particularly along the North Sea corridor.

Earlier in the year, EXA Infrastructure also strengthened its leadership team with three new appointments, as it seeks to scale its operations and expand its global network footprint. Alongside this, the company acquired subsea network operator Aqua Comms to enhance its transatlantic and European presence.

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