MARCH 27, 2009 -- Tyco Telecommunications (search Lightwave for Tyco Telecommunications), a business unit of Tyco Electronics and a developer of undersea communications technology, has announced the successful demonstration of 40-Gbps transmission over ultralong-haul distances. The test was conducted using dark fibers on the existing Tata Communications TGN-Pacific submarine cable system that links Tokyo to multiple U.S. West Coast city points of presence (PoPs). The data was carried from Toyohashi, Japan to Los Angeles without the need for regeneration. The demonstration marks the next step in the ongoing progression of undersea cable data rates and will ultimately enable such undersea cable systems to carry more capacity over existing links, says Tyco Telecommunications.
"We view this development as a significant milestone in the evolution of undersea cable transmission capability," says Seymour Shapiro, PhD, vice president, research and development and chief technology officer of Tyco Telecommunications. "40G transmission is clearly the next standard for long-haul transmission, including undersea."
In this field trial, a 40-Gbps signal was transmitted across two segments of Tata Communications' TGN network for a total of 11,000 km of undersea repeatered cable without regeneration. The path ran error-free over the entire three-day measurement period. In a second experiment, a 40-Gbps data stream was looped back at the Los Angeles and Toyohashi terminals, so that the signal made four trips across the Pacific for a total transmission distance of 44,000 km.
"The success of this field trial was made possible largely due to the top-notch support and cooperation by both the Tata Communications and Tyco Telecommunications teams, and demonstrates that our TGN submarine cable network is capable of delivering native 40G transport. This can help us deliver another option to our customers, from both the service capability and the cost-effectiveness points of view," says John Hayduk, chief technology officer, Tata Communications.
"The deployment of 40G on undersea cable systems will be made possible by the confluence of 40G build-outs on terrestrial links and the availability of long-reach 40G transponders," says William Marra, vice president and general manager of Tyco Telecommunications. "As higher bit rates become more prevalent in the terrestrial market, these services will naturally be required on undersea cables. Over the next year we expect to see 40-Gbps deployments starting with short 'regional' systems, which will be followed by transoceanic build-outs. This successful field trial illustrates how dedicated Tyco Telecommunications is to its existing customer base. We chose to demonstrate that the systems we have designed for 10-Gbps transport are not obsolete; that in fact, 40-Gbps terrestrial signals will seamlessly interface into the longest undersea infrastructure systems operating today."
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