First Transatlantic 40 Gbps Single Wavelength Transmission Completed

The first transatlantic transmission of a 40 Gbps IP wavelength (OC768/STM256) was successfully demonstrated by Sprint, in collaboration with the TAT-14 cable system consortium, TeliaSonera International Carrier, and Sweden's research and education network (SUnet). This trial was also enabled through close collaboration between Cisco Systems and StrataLight Communications.


Spanning more than 9,000 km of fiber distance, the circuit includes a 7,630 km segment of transatlantic submarine TAT-14 cable system between Sea Girt, N.J. and BlAbjerg, Denmark. TeliaSonera provided support and optical backhaul from the European cable landing station for TAT-14 to Stockholm and SUnet.


Rather than using traditional external DWDM equipment to generate the long-haul signal, the connection was based on Cisco's Carrier Routing System, CRS-1, and IP-over-Dense-Wavelength-Division Multiplexing (IPoDWDM) systems. With the CRS-1 IPoDWDM production solution, the CRS-1 emits a colored 40-Gbps wavelength that is fed directly into existing 10-Gbps DWDM transmission equipment, providing four times the capacity and eliminating costly external transponders.


"This successful trial of 40-Gbps over IP on a submarine cable system represents another significant first in IP networking for Sprint," said Kathy Walker, chief information and network officer for Sprint. "It serves as a reminder of how far technology has advanced. TAT-14 and Sprint were the first to transmit data at 10-Gbps (OC192) speeds across the same path in 2001. Sprint and TAT-14 are making history again. By transmitting 40-Gbps over an existing 10-Gbps DWDM system, we've demonstrated that Sprint can increase capacity for its customers while minimizing additional capital and operational costs."



http://www.sprint.com