"CLONETS has gathered information from the time and frequency (TF) metrology community, National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), and research infrastructures on state-of-the-art fibre-optic TF transfer techniques, current fibre-optic networking technologies, and the needs for high performance TF references via an optical fibre network. The consortium has identified and surveyed research infrastructures, and has found a growing awareness of the potential of a fibre-based TF service. In parallel, the fibre optic networks of NRENs and their capacity for integrating a TF service were studied. A special focus was made on the suitability of ""Alien Wavelength"" or ""Dark Channel"" methods, which allow integrating TF (or other) signals into the same fibre as data traffic. The Consortium evaluated and summarised the likely key TF transfer techniques of the future, the potential role of optical fibre compared to satellite based services, the requirements for the implementation and integration of fibre based services into NREN networks and the key obstacles to this.
The CLONETS Consortium has also conducted surveys in order to gain additional insight into the TF needs of users in the public, research, governmental and industrial sectors. In preparation of this survey, the Consortium identified different TF service categories using quantitative and qualitative parameters, and defined an ethics policy for these surveys. Further, an independent market study on societal and industrial applications and potential markets was conducted through a subcontract to a specialised company. This study provides insights to the importance of high performance TF references in a number of high-priority fields, including telecommunications, energy networks, the financial sector, the Industrial Internet of Things, Big Data and scientific facilities.
The Consortium has developed an overall vision for TF service delivery over optical fibre in Europe, and proposed the architecture for a core network together with possible future extensions. Different scenarios for the implementation of the core network were examined, and estimations of the respective deployment costs made. In order to enable an efficient realisation of an operational and sustainable TF network in Europe, the maturity level and commercial availability of relevant existing TF technologies were assessed, missing technology blocks in terms of expertise and equipment identified ,and technology development roadmaps developed. A deployment strategy for the core network was laid out, with a particular focus on the implementation and operation of the core network in cooperation with NRENs. Finally, the consortium studied possible legal structures for operating the network.
In close collaboration between CLONETS participants and Politecnico di Torino, a Level-2 Master programme specialising in Photonics for Networks and Metrology was developed. This is expected to provide relevant advanced training to students in the future."
