NEW MEMBER PROFILE
Sintela brings next-generation infrastructure security to Pacific ports
A s ports throughout the Pacific region navigate increasingly complex security challenges, the need for innovative technolo- gies that provide real-time awareness of activity across vast operational environments has never been greater. From perimeter intrusion detection and critical infrastructure protec- tion to marine domain awareness and operational resilience, modern ports require solutions that go beyond trad- itional surveillance systems. One company helping to shape the future of infrastructure security is Sintela, a global leader in Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing (DFOS) and Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) technologies. As a new associate mem- ber of the Association of Pacific Ports (APP), Sintela brings cutting-edge expertise in fiber optic sensing, artifi- cial intelligence, and machine learn- ing to an industry increasingly focused on safeguarding critical assets while improving operational awareness. The company is known within the security market for being selected as the Linear Ground Detection System for the US Southern and Northern Border, after an exhaustive competitive evalua- tion by the Department of Homeland Security. After a strong start to the program, the contract ceiling has been raised to $200m. According to James Ashdown, Chief Operations Officer for Sintela, the company’s technology transforms ordinary fiber optic cable into an intelligent sensing network capable of detecting and classifying activity across extensive areas in real time. “Our goal is to help operators under- stand exactly what is happening around their facilities and provide actionable
Sintela’s technology transforms ordinary fiber optic cable into an intelligent sensing network capable of detecting and classifying activity across extensive areas in real time.
information before a situation becomes a problem,” Ashdown said. Building on decades of expertise Although Sintela itself is a relatively young company, the expertise behind its technology runs much deeper. The company was founded by a team of specialists with decades of experi- ence in distributed fiber optic sens- ing, acoustics, photonics, and machine learning. In describing the senior leadership, Ashdown noted that they had recognized an opportunity to advance traditional sensing technolo- gies by combining them with sophis- ticated artificial intelligence and event classification algorithms. Today, Sintela operates internation- ally with hubs in the United Kingdom, United States, and India. The com- pany reports that its ONYX™ sensing platforms have been deployed on assets covering more than 55,000 kilom- eters worldwide, supporting applica- tions ranging from border security and critical infrastructure protection to rail networks, pipelines, subsea monitor- ing, smart cities, and environmental research. The company’s flagship ONYX™ platforms are designed to convert existing telecommunications fiber into
powerful sensing networks capable of detecting vibrations, acoustic signals, and disturbances over long distances. Rather than requiring specialized fiber installations, Sintela’s systems utilize standard telecommunications fiber, significantly reducing deployment costs and complexity. Turning fiber into intelligence At the heart of Sintela’s technology is distributed acoustic sensing, a method that allows fiber optic cable to func- tion as a continuous sensor. The concept is remarkably simple yet extraordinarily powerful. Every vibration creates a unique acoustic signature. By analyzing amplitude, frequency, and phase characteristics, Sintela’s systems can determine not only that an event has occurred, but what type of event it is. “We don’t just see an alert,” Ashdown explained. “We’re looking at the char- acteristics of the signal and determin- ing whether it’s a person climbing a fence, someone digging, a vehicle idling near a perimeter, or simply wild- life moving nearby.” The company’s AI-powered algo- rithms have been trained using exten- sive real-world data collected across multiple industries. This enables the
18 — PACIFIC PORTS — July 2026
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