Originally posted on Data Center POST
Aqua Comms, a global leader in subsea telecommunications solutions, and Ciena (NYSE: CIEN), a pioneer in networking systems, services, and software, have reached a major milestone in the subsea cable industry. The two companies have successfully completed the first-ever 1.3 Tb/s wavelength transmission spanning 5,500 km across the Atlantic. This technological achievement was made possible by Ciena’s cutting-edge WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e), a fully programmable coherent technology that supports wavelength speeds of up to 1.6 Tb/s.
In addition to this groundbreaking accomplishment, Aqua Comms and Ciena achieved a second world-first by completing an 800 Gb/s wavelength transmission across a total unregenerated distance of over 11,000 km — connecting the USA to Ireland and back. This success leverages the flexible baud and line rate capabilities of WL6e, which was finely tuned during the trial from 200GBaud to 150GBaud. The ability to dynamically adjust these parameters highlights how the technology allows Aqua Comms to optimize capacity and more efficiently utilize its spectrum resources.
Driving Efficiency and Reducing Environmental Impact
These milestones were achieved on Aqua Comms’ AEC-1 subsea cable route, marking a significant leap forward in spectral efficiency and energy use. By maximizing subsea transmission rates, Aqua Comms can improve spectral efficiency by approximately 15% and cut power consumption by more than 50% compared to the previous generation of Ciena transponders. This not only enhances performance but also aligns with the industry’s growing focus on sustainability.
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