underwaterIt’s not easy for a business to predict future growth. Bandwidth needs can increase virtually overnight, which could impact application performance and leave the organization in a pinch for connectivity.

For this reason, high-capacity connectivity that scales with demand is now a top priority for global enterprises.

One company that is setting a new standard for global connectivity is Aqua Comms. Its next-generation subsea cable network, America-Europe Connect (AEConnect), provides scalable, high-capacity transatlantic connectivity between the major international markets of New York and London.

Right now, AEConnect — which spans nearly 5600 kilometers — supports 13Tbps of capacity. Soon, this figure will increase, as the Aqua Comms has found a way to pack more data into its subsea pipeline.

Aqua Comms recently tested a trial of Ciena’s 8QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) technology on AEConnect. The test confirmed that Ciena’s 150Gbps per wavelength 8QAM technology will increase AEConnect’s submarine capacity by 50 percent. It will also provide greater spectral efficiency and reach over vast transoceanic distances.

This technology is particularly important when considering the sheer volume of data that businesses today are using. This year, global internet traffic will exceed 1 zettabyte, or 100 trillion gigabytes. And this figure will only increase moving forward.

“With global data creation and transmission skyrocketing, investment in submarine network infrastructure is essential,” explained Ian Clark, Senior Director of Submarine Systems at Ciena. “This trial demonstrates Aqua Comms’ ability to quickly and easily adjust its long-haul network capacity to meet the present and future needs of its international data centre interconnect and web-scale customers.”

As Aqua Comms Chief Executive Officer Greg Varisco added, the new partnership will help Aqua Comms support the fluctuating network demands of its customers.

“Ciena’s submarine leadership combined with their consultative approach makes them a valuable partner that understands the business environment of our customers too,” Varisco said. “Aqua Comms’ network is designed to meet the specific application and business requirements of content providers, cloud-based networks, data centres, IT companies and the global media.  The successful trial and deployment of Ciena’s 150 Gb/s per wavelength 8QAM technology on AEConnect underscores our commitment to serving our customers’ needs, now and into the future.”

To learn more about AEConnect, click here.