Nokia has revealed how advances in its coherent pluggable optics technology could help subsea cable operators cut costs, use less power and carry more data across their networks.
In a blog post, the telecom giant’s Optical Networks Product & Solutions Marketing lead, Serge Melle, explained how the technology, already used in land-based networks, is now being introduced to subsea cables.
Coherent pluggable optics are small devices that allow large amounts of data to travel over fibre networks while using less power and taking up less space than traditional equipment.
The technology has improved over time, with speeds rising from 100G and 200G to 800G, thanks to advances in digital signal processors (DSPs).
He said: “Pluggable coherent optics, whether deployed in routers or in thin transponders, provide undeniable benefits for network operators in terms of lower power, greater system density and reduced cost per bit. Proven deployment in metro and long-haul networks thus has subsea cable operators asking whether these benefits can also be leveraged in subsea applications?”
As a result, Nokia used a trial with Telxius on the Brazil-USA (BRUSA) submarine cable, where its ICE-X 800G technology delivered speeds of 600G per wavelength over 2,841km. Meanwhile, The companies also reported a transmission record of 400G per wavelength over 5,862km.
Melle added: “In many cases subsea cable operators can now also consider coherent pluggables to optimise for power, space or cost.”
However, Nokia said more powerful traditional optical equipment will still be needed for the longest and most demanding routes, including cables stretching 15,000km or more. As a result, it expects future versions of the technology to support speeds of 800G or higher across ocean-spanning cables.
He concluded: “As coherent pluggables continue evolving from terrestrial to subsea networks, they give operators a practical new option for balancing reach and capacity with lower power, greater density, simpler operations and improved cost per bit- while performance-optimised embedded optics remain essential for the most demanding routes.”
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