NEC to Upgrade APCN2 Cable to 40 Gbps DWDM

NEC was awarded a multi million-dollar contract to upgrade the existing APCN2 (Asia Pacific Cable Network 2) with 40 Gbps DWDM technology.


APCN2, which spans over 19,000km and connects 10 landing stations in the Asia Pacific region, was originally supplied by NEC in 2001 with a 10 Gbps DWDM system design. In response to the rising transmission demands in the region, NEC proposed its 40 Gbps DWDM technology to expand capacity. NEC estimates that by adding 40 Gbps wavelengths the cable's capacity can be enlarged by as much as 4 times its original ultimate design capacity of 2.56 Tbps.


The upgrade is scheduled to be completed by 2Q of 2011. NEC's NS Series T640SW Line Terminal Equipment supports a combination of 10 Gbps and 40 Gbps wavelengths. Size and power consumption are reduced by 50% as compared to previous models, and it offers tunable wavelength light sources (Tunable LD) and Tunable Dispersion Compensation per wavelength (TDCM).


APCN2 is operated by fourteen purchasing consortium members: AT&T, China Telecom, China Unicom, Chunghwa Telecom, C&W, KDDI, KT, NTTCom, PLDT, Reach, SingTel, Softbank Telecom, StarHub and TM.
http://www.nec.co.jp