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The hardware components of Ether Fabric are largely interchangeable. The hardware is built on the AdvancedTCA (ATCA) modular industrial PC form factor, which is commonly used in telecommunications equipment. The individual components come on sleds and have special connectors on the back that connect to power and ethernet, which is not a common form factor for commodity servers that would be put into data centers. The switching boards are based on the VELA platform from the Chinese company Beijing Hengguang Information Technology Co., Ltd. (恒光信息 ) Internally, Ether Fabric utilizes a Barefoot Networks (part of Intel) 3.2 Tbit/s switching chip, which is programmable using the P4 programming language for managing packet forwarding planes in networking devices. Publicly-available information regarding Hengguang's VELA platform is limited; however, the hardware appears to be similar to the OptiWay ATCA platform produced by the Chinese company Embedway. Additionally, a vendor MAC address lookup of the management interface included in the documentation suggests that some of the hardware may be manufactured by the Taiwanese company ADLINK Technology Inc. The control plane is based on Open Network Linux and has been developed internally by Geedge Networks. Due to the target-independence of the P4 programming language, the Barefoot switching chip is interchangeable. There is information in the leak indicating that Geedge Networks has already explored alternative solutions from AMD, Broadcom, and Mellanox (part of NVIDIA). For example, P4 could also target FPGA-based platforms, such as the PA8921 acceleration card from Intel, utilized in other products from Embedway. According to a November 2023 technical brief published by Intel on their official website, which remains accessible online, Intel has indeed provided acceleration cards to Embedway for use in deep packet inspection applications.16 Notably, our research did not uncover any evidence that these acceleration cards were employed by Geedge Networks.

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The Internet Coup A Technical Analysis on How a Chinese Company is Exporting The Great Firewall to Autocratic Regimes

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Topic

Digital Rights
Digital Surveillance
Internet Connectivity / Accessibility
Internet Restrictions

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INTER SECLAB

Date Published: Sep 9, 2025

Abstract: Over the past two decades, the Chinese government has been steadily refining their model of internet control using surveillance and censorship technologies domestically while promoting this approach to other nations under the banner of “digital sovereignty”. Through the export of these technologies, China is not only extending its global influence but also laying the foundation for a federated system of internet governance. In this system, Chinese companies provide the infrastructure and expertise for client governments to more easily monitor and control their own networks, while learning from these deployments and improving collective capacity for digital authoritarianism worldwide.

This research by InterSecLab uncovers evidence of the export of a suite of technologies resembling China’s Great Firewall by Geedge Networks, a private company linked to the academic entity ‘Massive and Effective Stream Analysis’ (Mesalab), a research laboratory at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Our team’s investigation identifies a pattern of commercialization of surveillance capabilities, with Geedge Networks offering a suite of products that enable comprehensive monitoring and control of internet users.

InterSecLab’s analysis reveals that Geedge Networks is contracted with governments in Kazakhstan, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Myanmar, and one other unknown country to establish sophisticated systems of internet censorship and surveillance. Furthermore, our findings indicate that Geedge Networks is also involved in developing similar systems deployed within China, including in Xinjiang and other regions.

Based on analysis of a leak of more than 100,000 Geedge Networks documents that was shared with InterSecLab, this research sheds light on the features and capabilities of Geedge Networks’ systems, which include deep packet inspection, real-time monitoring of mobile subscribers, granular control over internet traffic, as well as censorship rules that can be tailored to each region. The leak also reveals information about Geedge Networks’ relationship with the academic entity, Mesalab, as well as their interactions with client governments. The implications for data sovereignty are significant, and our findings raise concerns about the commoditization of surveillance and information control technologies.

This research examines the recent development of Geedge Networks’ systems in various countries, including what is known about their deployment timelines. By analyzing the company’s internal documentation, InterSecLab was able to chronicle the expansion of commercially available national firewalls and speculate about the implications for the future of the global internet considering the spread of such systems.

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The Internet Coup A Technical Analysis on How a Chinese Company is Exporting The Great Firewall to Autocratic Regimes

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