8QAM Technology Increases Capacity of AEConnect by 50 Per Cent While Providing Greater Spectral Efficiency and Reach

Aqua Comms Limited (“Aqua Comms”), a  provider of scalable, subsea capacity-based network solutions, today announces  it has successfully completed a trial of Ciena’s® (NYSE:CIEN) WaveLogic  3 Extreme transmission technology on America-Europe Connect (“AEConnect”), its high-capacity,  transatlantic subsea cable network that connects  New York to London via Dublin.  This test confirms  that Ciena’s 150 Gb/s per wavelength 8QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) technology  will increase the capacity of Aqua Comm’s submarine network by 50 per cent,  while providing greater spectral efficiency and reach over vast transoceanic  distances.

Key Facts:

  • A reliable,  coherent-optimised subsea cable system, AEConnect interconnects metro networks and  is designed to address the rise in transatlantic data centre interconnectivity (DCI)  market demands.  Subsequently, Aqua Comms  has incorporated the most important data centre locations in New York, Dublin,  and London as key Points of Presence (PoPs) in its network.
  • A key  benefit of the 150 Gb/s 8QAM technology is the ability to provide high-capacity  DCI, which is instrumental in serving Aqua Comms’ on-demand, application-centric  customers. 8QAM enables 50 percent additional capacity per channel with 150  Gb/s per wavelength.
  • AEConnect  will initially support 13Tbps (130 x 100 Gbps), however, with the introduction  of more advanced modulations, including 8QAM, this will continue to  increase.  In addition to its capacity,  AEConnect is designed to provide the most secure and reliable transatlantic  cable system in existence.  On both the  U.S. and European sides, the cable transverses the minimum length of shallow  water along the Continental shelf and avoids major fishing grounds and shipping  anchorage areas that are known to expose subsea cables to damage.  Additional armouring and deeper burial were  also obtained to further mitigate potential vulnerability.

The successful trial of 150 Gb/s per wavelength 8QAM follows  the recent proof of concept of Ciena’s WaveLogic Encryption solution, demonstrating the ability to safeguard all data at the optical layer  on AEConnect, as well as its network expansion utilizing Ciena’s GeoMesh solution  and 6500 Packet-Optical  Platform, powered by WaveLogic 3 Extreme  coherent optics, for highly flexible, low-latency  and reliable international connectivity.

Executive Comments:

  • “Ciena’s submarine  leadership combined with their consultative approach makes them a valuable partner  that understands the business environment of our customers too.  Aqua Comms’ network is designed to meet the specific  application and business requirements of content providers, cloud-based  networks, data centres, IT companies and the global media.  The successful trial and deployment of  Ciena’s 150 Gb/s per wavelength 8QAM technology on AEConnect underscores our  commitment to serving our customers’ needs, now and into the future.”
    -    Greg Varisco, Chief Executive Officer, Aqua Comms
  • “With  global data creation and transmission skyrocketing, investment in submarine  network infrastructure is essential.  This  trial demonstrates Aqua Comms’ ability to quickly and easily adjust its  long-haul network capacity to meet the present and future needs of its  international data centre interconnect and web-scale customers. An innovative  and programmable network, supported by WaveLogic coherent optics and Flexible  Grid technology, ensures these customers will benefit from maximum scale, reach  and flexibility on this critical transatlantic route.”
    -    Ian Clarke, Senior Director, Submarine  Systems, Ciena

For more information about  AEConnect, visit www.AquaComms.com/ or  email info@aquacomms.com.

About Aqua Comms
Aqua Comms Limited (Aqua Comms) is the owner and  operator of the transatlantic cable AEConnect and the Irish Sea cable  CeltixConnect, and was established to build, acquire or merge with subsea fiber  optic cable networks to provide capacity networking solutions to the global  media, content providers and IT companies. To learn more about Aqua Comms and  its new transatlantic subsea cable system, AEConnect, visit www.AquaComms.com.

About Ciena
Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) is a network strategy and  technology company. We translate best-in-class technology into value through a  high-touch, consultative business model – with a relentless drive to create  exceptional experiences measured by outcomes. For updates on Ciena, follow us  on Twitter @Ciena, LinkedIn, the Ciena Insights blog, or visit www.ciena.com.

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