Infinera, provider of intelligent transport networks, said it has successfully completed a series of record-breaking submarine field trials over MAREA, a 6,600-kilometer submarine cable between Virginia Beach, Virginia and Bilbao, Spain.
The trials used Infinera’s fourth-generation Infinite Capacity Engine (ICE4) advanced coherent technology to achieve new records for trans-Atlantic real-time spectral efficiency:
6.21 bits per second per hertz (b/s/Hz) over 6,644 km, translating to a fiber capacity of 26.2 terabits per second (Tb/s) 4.46 b/s/Hz over 13,210 km for 18.6 Tb/s fiber capacity
Details of the trial were presented by Scott Jackson, Infinera Subsea CTO, at the Submarine Networks World conference.
To achieve the record-breaking results, Infinera employed several technologies including precision, multi-carrier common wavelocking based on Infinera’s large-scale photonic integrated circuit (PIC), digitally synthesized subcarriers with “near Nyquist” pulse shaping, enabled by the ICE4 real-time coherent digital signal processor, and operation over a high-optical power, large-area optical fiber cable.
“We were thrilled to have an opportunity to work with a major internet content provider to demonstrate Infinera’s leading innovation in spectral efficiency over the MAREA cable system,” said Dr. David Welch , co-founder and chief strategy and technology officer of Infinera. “Infinera’s ICE4 technology has continually delivered in optical performance for our customers over the past year. This latest example, in a production platform, allowed upwards of more than 30 percent increased spectral capacity over other supplier technologies that are available today. We will continue to advance our large-scale photonic integration to maximize capacity and continue industry leading performance for the benefit of our customers.”