Alcatel-Lucent has tested 300 Gbps and 400 Gbps transmission technology on the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable system, which connects France to the west coast of Africa. The tests achieved 12.6 terabits-per-second (Tbps) per fiber pair using the Alcatel-Lucent 1620 Light Manager submarine line terminal using optical coherent technology.
Alcatel-Lucent said the field trial demonstrated more than a fivefold increase in the system’s initial design capability, setting a new record for capacity upgrades. Ultimate capacity upgrade is optimized through different wavelength bit rate for regional (400G) and transoceanic (300G) distances.
Yves Ruggeri, Chairman of the ACE Management Committee said: “This field trial demonstrates the ability to support higher speeds and capacity in a seamless way, meeting the needs for optimizing the total cost of network ownership and without impacting the system performance. The scalability up to 400G offered by Alcatel-Lucent in a single board show the adaptability of the solution for addressing the need for expanding system capabilities on any distance.”
