NTT Com plans 100G for PC-1 transpacific submarine cable network

Building on trials conducted earlier this year, NTT Communications Corp. says it plans to deploy coherent-based 100-Gbps transmission technology on its PC-1 transpacific submarine cable system. The company expects to complete the upgrade by the middle of 2013, at which time its total system capacity will triple to 10 Tbps.

"Our subsea cable system PC-1 is an important international communications for the United States and Japan as proven during the March 11 disaster. Enhancing the capabilities of this PC-1, which provides the trans-pacific shortest link, through the most advanced technologies will satisfy ever increasing traffic and will be extremely beneficial for users." said Takahiro Sumimoto, CEO of PC Landing Corp.

The 100G trial, announced last month, used equipment from Infinera (NASDAQ: INFN; see "Infinera trials 100 Gbps undersea with Pacific Crossing"). While pointing to the trail in the announcement of its new plans, NTT stopped short of saying that it would turn to Infinera for the upgrade. Infinera declined to comment on the matter; NTT has yet to respond to queries made this morning.

PC-1 includes 21,000 km of cable in a ring configuration of four fiber-pairs. The network includes four segments that connect landing stations in Ajigaura (near Tokyo); Shima (near Osaka and Nagoya); Harbour Pointe, WA (near Seattle); and Grover Beach, CA (between San Francisco and Los Angeles). The system has a current total capacity of 3.2 Tbps. NTT Com uses the PC-1 to deliver global IP network services, its Arcstar Universal One cloud-network services, and global cloud services.