ILA Evo: Meta’s journey to reimagine fiber optic in-line amplifier sites

What this post added

This post details Meta's ILA Evo effort to reimagine fiber optic in-line amplifier (ILA) sites. It outlines the historical context of ILAs, their current design constraints, and the new requirements for ILA Evo, focusing on speed, cost, and power efficiency. The post describes the engineering efforts in several categories: lightweight building systems (FRP/GRP panels), low-concrete foundation designs (helical steel screw piles), manufactured owner-furnished equipment (MOFE) for ISP installation, ballistic protection, advanced cooling technologies (passive/liquid-based cooling, higher temperature set points), and modern backup power alternatives (H2 fuel cells, molten salt batteries). It also discusses the macro benefits of ILA Evo, including supply chain advantages and the ability to stockpile components.