OFS Fitel LLC has introduced UltraWave® SLA+ ocean fiber for high-data-rate submarine networks. UltraWave SLA+ fiber is designed for cost-effective, coherent transport using advanced modulation formats to 100 Gbps and beyond in submarine systems. It is fully compliant with the ITU G.654 standard for cutoff-shifted fiber.
OFS says the new fiber represents a significant enhancement to its UltraWave SLA fiber by providing a larger effective area (from 110 to 130 square micrometers), which enables the launch of higher signal power into the span, while lowering cable attenuation. The UltraWave SLA+ fiber is part of a broader OFS focus on higher effective area and lower loss fiber products that support the evolving cost and performance targets in today's submarine transmission lines.
The advanced performance of UltraWave SLA+ fiber was recently demonstrated in a 100 Gbps coherent transmission system over transatlantic distances delivering 10 Tbps total capacity on a single fiber. The demonstration, which was conducted on a straight line coherent-optimized test bed that simulates undersea systems, including amplifiers and fiber, transmitted 100 x 100 Gbps (10 Tbps) error-free capacity over 6,400 km with significant system performance margin. While sources at OFS's booth at OFC/NFOEC said they could not provide further details of this trial, it should be noted that TE Subcom announced in January results from what is probably the same trial (see "TE SubCom demos 100G coherent undersea cable system").
In another demonstration, UltraWave SLA+ fiber transmitted 112 Gbps pol-mux QPSK signals over 10,000 km with EDFA amplification.
When paired with OFS' UltraWave IDF fiber, the new fiber also forms a slope-matched pair with low residual dispersion across the entire C-band for ultra long-haul distances.
UltraWave SLA+ fiber is manufactured using OFS's proprietary vapor axial deposition (VAD) process, which produces a fiber with zero water peak (ZWP) performance and ultra-low polarization mode dispersion (PMD). The ZWP performance is optimized for efficient second-order Raman pumping in unrepeatered systems.
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