Altibox Carrier and Ciena have demonstrated the world’s first 1.6 Tbps single-carrier wavelength transmission on a live subsea system. The trial ran error-free across the NO-UK cable between Norway and the UK, using Ciena’s WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) coherent optics. The achievement confirmed that terabit-class wavelengths are now operationally viable for undersea networks, with the trial delivering spectral efficiency greater than 9 b/s/Hz.
The 1.6 Tbps milestone marks a significant step in scaling subsea capacity as AI, video streaming, and cloud traffic continue to surge. Altibox Carrier plans to incorporate WL6e technology into its roadmap, citing efficiency, sustainability, and scalability advantages over previous generations. The company already upgraded its network to 800G in 2023 using Ciena’s WaveLogic 5 Extreme, Waveserver 5 platform, and 6500 flexible grid open line system.
Altibox Carrier, co-owned by Lyse and HitecVision, operates the NO-UK and Skagen Fiber West cables, linking Norway with the UK, Denmark, and continental hubs in Amsterdam, Brussels, London, and Hamburg. Ciena said the partnership underscores Norway’s emergence as a data center hub in Europe.
- Achieved first 1.6 Tbps single-carrier wavelength over a live subsea cable
- Used Ciena’s WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) coherent optics
- Error-free transmission across NO-UK subsea system between Norway and the UK
- Spectral efficiency exceeded 9 b/s/Hz
- Builds on Altibox Carrier’s prior 800G upgrade with Ciena Waveserver 5 and WL5e
- Supports growing demand from AI, cloud, and data center expansion
“The global data center market, especially in Norway, is undergoing historic expansion. This positions us to deliver higher-capacity, resilient pathways across Europe and to key international hubs,” said Svein Arild Ims, CEO of Altibox Carrier.
🌐 Analysis: This demonstration positions Ciena and Altibox Carrier at the forefront of subsea optical innovation, with WL6e optics proving ready for real-world operations. The achievement follows Ciena’s broader push into terabit optics, highlighted by recent WaveLogic 6 wins across terrestrial and data center interconnect networks. For Altibox Carrier, the trial validates its strategy to anchor Norway’s role as a European data center hub, competing with operators like Aqua Comms and Arelion who are also advancing high-capacity subsea and terrestrial links.
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