stc adds submarine cable capacity via Infinera’s ICE6 coherent engine
stc (formerly Saudi Telecom) and Infinera (NASDAQ:INFN) says the former has used the latter’s ICE6 coherent engine to increase the capacity of its submarine cable networks to as much as 800G per wavelength. The Saudi Arabian telecom and wholesale service provider will leverage the new capacity to launch new regional and international connectivity services as well as enable what the two companies call “cognitive cities.”
The upgrade sees the use of the ICE6 coherent engine via Infinera’s GX Series Compact Modular Platform. The optical transport technology will expand the submarine network systems’ capacity by 10X versus initial design capacity.
“With rapid increase in demand and the requirement to accelerate and strengthen connectivity between Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Europe, Infinera’s 800G submarine network solution will enable us to meet the exponential growth of international connectivity while improving reliability,” explained Mohammed A. Alabbadi, chief wholesale offer at stc. “ICE6 will also enable the expansion and diversification of cloud services in the region and around the world, and this technology is ideal for our upcoming projects 2Africa and Saudi Vision Cable.”
“stc’s selection of Infinera’s GX Series Compact Modular Platform featuring ICE6 technology sets them up for success to meet growing bandwidth demands in the Middle East. ICE6 provides stc with the greatest spectral efficiency and best overall economics, which will enable stc to deliver on critical projects in the region,” asserted Nick Walden, senior vice president, worldwide sales at Infinera. “This initiative will pave the way for new and exciting digital opportunities throughout the Middle East.”
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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.
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