Columbus Networks upgrades ARCOS-1 with Xtera

Columbus Networks says it has upgraded capacity on the ARCOS-1 submarine cable system in the Caribbean with equipment from Xtera Communications Inc. The 8,600-km submarine cable network connects the Caribbean, Central, and South America to the United States using two repeatered and 22 unrepeatered links.

Columbus previously deployed Xtera’s technology on the 22 unrepeatered segments (see “Columbus Networks taps Xtera for subsea network upgrade”), but this is the first time the equipment maker has been called upon to boost capacity on the ARCOS-1 repeatered segments.

To upgrade capacity, Xtera deployed its regional repeatered submarine system, which uses a compact submarine line terminal equipment (SLTE) for repeatered links covering distances of 500 to 3,000 km.

Columbus says the upgrade harmonizes the equipment on the ARCOS-1 cable system, which makes network management easier.

"With Xtera's new solution for regional repeatered applications, we now have the benefit of their technology on both our repeatered and unrepeatered segments,” said Peter Collins, chief technology officer at Columbus Networks. “These common capabilities across the entire network provide opportunities to accelerate service delivery, enable us to further improve our operation procedures, and yield lower network operations cost."

Columbus Networks is the largest subsea fiber-optic communications company connecting the United States, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The company's undersea fiber-optic networks span more than 18,000 km of cable routes including Americas Region Caribbean Optical-ring System (ARCOS-1), Colombia - Florida Express (CFX), EC-Link cable system, Fibralink, and Maya.

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