29 November 2011

Mitsubishi Electric to upgrade AAG transpacific cable network to 40G

Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Electric Corp has signed a contract to upgrade the 10Gbps transpacific Asia America Gateway (AAG) Cable Network by incorporating 40Gbps dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) and increasing transmission design capacity by up to fivefold to 5.2Tbps. The upgrade, which will involve installing submarine line terminal equipment (SLTE) in eight countries, is expected to be completed by third-quarter 2012.

Set up in 2009, the AAG Cable Network is owned by a consortium of 19 major telecoms carriers and comprises over 20,000km of fiber-optic cable linking 10 landing stations in seven Southeast Asian countries and the USA.

To satisfy the rapid increase in demand for internet traffic, there has been urgent need to raise transmission capacity and speed. A field trial conducted on the AAG Cable Network has proved that Mitsubishi Electric's new coherent high-speed fiber-optic technology enables 40Gbps DWDM transmissions beyond 6600km (one of the key factors underpinning the upgrade contract).

“Having received an order for similar work on the transatlantic TAT-14 Cable Network, Mitsubishi Electric will become the first supplier of 40Gbps upgrades to both transpacific and transatlantic networks,” notes Masahiro Tsukamoto, general manager of Mitsubishi Electric’s Telecommunication Systems Department. “We now look forward to building on these wins to assist other network operators with high-quality upgrades.”

Mitsubishi Electric supplied the world’s first 5Gbps optically amplified repeaters for a transpacific cable in 1994. In 1999, it supplied the first 10Gbps transmission technology for trans-oceanic cables, comprising 10Gbps optically amplified repeaters and SLTE. Since 2004, the firm has performed upgrades for various undersea cable systems while continuing to expand its capabilities in this field.

Tags: Mitsubishi Electric

Visit: www.mitsubishielectric.com