Southern Cross solidifies 800G path with Ciena’s WaveLogic 6

Jan. 23, 2024
The submarine cable operator gets ready to offer 800 Gbps service across the Pacific.

Southern Cross, a Trans-Pacific submarine cable network provider, plans to incorporate Ciena’s  WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) technology as a vital part of the Southern Cross (SX) NEXT expansion plans from Sydney to Los Angeles.

Using Ciena’s WL6e technology in NEXT will enable the submarine cable provider to implement 800 Gbps wavelengths across the single 12,500+km span, allowing it to support new offerings like its recently launched 400 GbE services.

Ciena’s WL6e integrates coherent DSP innovations to provide what it claims is the highest capacity over fiber. WL6e supports 1.6 Tbps single-carrier wavelengths for metro networks, 800 Gbps services across the most extended links, and a 50% reduction in watts per bit. It requires less space compared to the previous generation for similar capacities.

 

Ciena’s technology enables Southern Cross’s network to respond more quickly to fluctuating and often unforeseen network demands driven by cloud-based services, content, and emerging applications that use artificial intelligence.

“SX NEXT cable is a high-performance system and the first phase of the replacement of the original systems by 2030,” said Laurie Miller, President and CEO of Southern Cross. “Today, we’re once again announcing what is expected to be another networking world first, implementing Ciena WaveLogic 6 on SX NEXT to help us push the envelope in terms of high-speed bandwidth connectivity and energy efficiency.”

For related articles, visit the Network Design Topic Center.

For more information on high-speed transmission systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.

To stay abreast of fiber network deployments, subscribe to Lightwave’s Service Providers and Datacom/Data Center newsletters.

About the Author

Sean Buckley

Sean is responsible for establishing and executing the editorial strategies of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report across their websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products.

Sponsored Recommendations

April 25, 2025
This webinar will examine trends and advancements at the system and optical module levels for data center interconnect. Register today to join the discussion.
Oct. 29, 2024
RURAL BROADBAND:AN OPPORTUNITY AND A CHALLENGE The rural broadband market has always been a challenge for service providers. However, the recent COVID-19 pandemic highlighted ...
March 12, 2025
Join us for an engaging discussion with industry experts on the intersection of AI and optics. Moderated by Sean Buckley, editor-in-chief of Lightwave+BTR, this panel will explore...
April 10, 2025
The value of pluggable optics in open-line systems is also becoming more apparent. This webinar describes this trend and explores how such modules can best be employed. Register...