C&W Networks adds 400G support to CFX-1 and EWC submarine cables

Sept. 26, 2022

The 2400-km CFX-1 express submarine cable links the United States, Jamaica and Colombia with less than 25-ms latency. The 1,700-km EWC undersea cable connects the British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic.

Stephen Hardy

Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) says that it is supplying elements of its GeoMesh Extreme optical transport technology portfolio to C&W Networks. The Caribbean and Latin American wholesale services provider is using the gear to enable support of 400G broadband and IP services on its CFX-1 (Colombia-Florida Express) and EWC (East West Cable) submarine cable networks.

The GeoMesh Extreme elements include the 6500 Packet-Optical Platform, sporting WaveLogic 5 Extreme coherent optics. The upgrade will add significant capacity to the submarine networks, including more than 32 Tbps, a 10X increase, of the CFX-1 submarine networks. C&W Networks also will leverage Ciena’s Manage, Control and Plan (MCP) domain controller for network management and Ciena Services for deployment and reconfiguration.

“Online content, especially streaming video, continues to drive robust demand for data and high-speed connectivity in the regions we serve. The additional capacity we’re turning up on CFX-1 and EWC with Ciena allows us to meet this demand head-on, enriching our service offerings for customers while sustainably and cost-effectively extending the lifespan of these cable systems,” stated Chris Coles, vice president and general manager, C&W Networks.

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About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave

Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.

Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.

He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.