Connecting to Shared Infrastructure
The Register of Sites records what the Interior Department of the Velocity Interoperability Network holds. This page describes how members use it. A member connects to shared infrastructure in one of four ways: by taking a port at an exchange point, by housing equipment in the shared data hall, by leasing capacity on a cabling route, or by placing radio equipment at a relay site. Each kind of connection is allocated in fixed units on published terms, and each is registered with the Department before it is brought into use.
The terms below were agreed by members in June 2026 with the classes of shared infrastructure and were carried over unchanged into the Department on its establishment. Connections made by members before 6 September 2026 under the arrangements of the transferring member were registered by the Department on that day and continue on these terms for the remainder of their original period, after which they are renewed on the standard term.
Every connection, whatever its kind, is operated to the Network interoperability standards and is subject to the obligations of members set out under Infrastructure. Service to a connection is measured against the service standard for the class of the site or route on which it is made.
- Exchange connection
- A port on a member's cabinet at an exchange point, through which the member's network is connected to those of other members. Every member connects on the same terms under the exchange agreement; no member may refuse to exchange traffic with another at a shared exchange point.
- Data hall allocation
- One or more units of space, power and cooling in the shared data hall, in which a member houses its own equipment. Units are allocated by the Department, are of a fixed size and are reviewed annually against the member's actual use.
- Route lease
- The right to carry the member's own traffic over a cabling route held by the Department, expressed as a number of fibre pairs or, on the remaining copper route, as a number of circuits. Routes are leased by the route, from end to end.
- Relay site tenancy
- An antenna position on a mast and space in the shelter or equipment building at a relay site, for a member's own radio equipment. Tenancies are granted where structural capacity allows and are subject to the Department's own use of the site.
Units of allocation and terms
| Kind | Unit of allocation | Term | Notice to end | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exchange connection | One port on the member's cabinet, with cross-connection to the exchange fabric | Open-ended | Three months | Annual |
| Data hall allocation | One cabinet position of 42 rack units with 4 kilowatts of power and matching cooling | Three years | Six months | Annual |
| Route lease, fibre | One fibre pair over the whole length of the route | Five years | Six months | At renewal |
| Route lease, copper | One circuit over the whole length of the route, until replacement | Until 9 October 2026 | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Relay site tenancy | One antenna position and one rack unit of shelter space | Five years | Twelve months | At renewal |
The shared data hall in figures
- 48
- Units in the shared data hall
- 31
- Units allocated to members at establishment
- 5
- Units held by the Department for its own plant
- 12
- Units available for allocation
Capacity on cabling routes
The three fibre routes from the relay sites to the central exchange point each carry twenty-four pairs, of which the Department reserves two on every route for its own monitoring and for restoration in a fault. The remaining pairs are leased to members from end to end; a member needing capacity over part of a route only is nonetheless leased the whole pair.
The copper route between the central exchange point and the shared data hall is fully committed and carries six circuits for three members. It is replaced by a fibre route of twenty-four pairs in October 2026, after which capacity between the exchange point and the data hall ceases to be a constraint.
Capacity at establishment
| Kind | In use at establishment | Members served | Capacity remaining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exchange connections at XP-01 | 23 ports | 9 | 17 ports |
| Data hall units at DH-01 | 31 units | 7 | 12 units |
| Fibre pairs leased, CR-01 to CR-03 | 38 pairs | 8 | 28 pairs |
| Circuits on the copper route, CR-04 | 6 circuits | 3 | None; route to be replaced |
| Relay site tenancies, RS-01 to RS-03 | 14 positions | 6 | 5 positions |
Registering a connection
Step 1: Identify the site or route
Give the reference from the Register of Sites for the exchange point, data hall, cabling route or relay site at which the connection is to be made.
Step 2: Describe the connection
State the kind of connection, the number of units required, the equipment to be installed and the date on which the connection is to be brought into use.
Step 3: Confirm the standards
Confirm that the equipment to be connected is operated to the Network interoperability standards and name the person within the member organisation responsible for it.
Step 4: Submit the application
Applications are made by email on behalf of a member organisation. The Department acknowledges receipt within five working days and confirms whether capacity is available.
Step 5: Installation
Equipment is installed under the direction of departmental staff at a time entered on the schedule of planned works where any other member's service could be affected. The member may not bring the connection into use before installation is signed off.
Step 6: Entry in the register of connections
The connection is entered in the Department's register of connections against the site or route, and the member is sent written confirmation of the units allocated, the term and the review date.
Questions about connecting
Applications
Applications to connect, and questions about capacity or terms, may be sent to contact@interior.gov.vin. Works needed to install a connection are entered on the schedule of planned works, and answers to other common questions are given under Questions and Answers.