Clearfield, Utility Telecom Connect Nautilus Floating Data Center to Fiber

Clearfield Inc., the specialist in fiber management for communication service providers, in partnership with Utility Telecom, it has delivered the fiber connectivity required by Nautilus Data Technologies to bring the company’s eco-friendly data center online.

Located at the Port of Stockton, California, to utilize the San Joaquin River for water cooling, the barge-mounted 10,000 square foot carrier-neutral data center is connected to an 18 mile, redundant, high count fiber ring that Utility Telecom built to link the unique facility to a local carrier hotel.

Nautilus Data Technologies’ patented zero-impact water cooling system enables the highest density compute at 1.15 PUE or less with a 30 percent reduction in energy-related CO2 and air pollution. The system operates without consuming water, producing wastewater, or using refrigerants and chemicals, making it harmless to water and wildlife.

“We are changing the dynamics of the data center industry by factoring sustainability and impact as equal value to the compute environment, resiliency, and scale,” said Ashley Sturm, Vice President of Marketing, Nautilus Data Technologies. “The team at Clearfield and Utility Telecom helped design a network to meet specific needs so we can maximize the opportunity for our company and clients.”

Installing high-speed fiber connectivity from land onto a water-based data center represented the latest, unique fiber deployment challenge for Clearfield’s products to solve. Limited access into the data center and a lack of traditional telecommunication demarc connection points required a creative approach, working with Utility Telecom to deliver and connect the fiber that brought the data center online.

“Providing the right connection options is fundamental to how we approach the market, especially for companies like Nautilus Data Technologies that deliver a unique solution that can change the game for their respective industry,” said Michael Wood, National Market Manager – Utilities, Clearfield. “We believe we can help our operator partners overcome any challenge or obstacle their deployment environment presents as they roll out fiber networks to help take their network and customers further.”

Clearfield’s portfolio of craft-friendly Clearview cassettes, FieldShield Drop Assemblies, terminals, cabinets, frames and enclosures made connecting in the tightly packed spaces of the barge easy. It makes Clearfield the go-to choice for fiber connections in extreme environments, with its products supporting fixed wireless deployments on top of water towers and grain silos in the Midwest and buried in the ice at the South Pole for particle physics experiments.

“Utility Telecom and Clearfield have been working together for several years and this project was the natural extension of an already strong partnership,” said Bill Wilde, Director of Sales Engineering, Utility Telecom. “We want to bring our customers the best options to ensure they can succeed and connect as needed to support their business, and Clearfield helped us design and deploy just what Nautilus Data Technologies required.”