Southern Cross Cable achieves 1 Tb/s transpacific milestone

Southern Cross Cable has successfully achieved the world's first transpacific 1 terabit per second (Tb/s) single-carrier wavelength connection across its extensive 13,500-kilometre live production network using Ciena's WaveLogic 6 Extreme coherent optics technology.

The implementation of this technology took place across the globe's longest single optical submarine cable segment, demonstrating the scalability and adaptability of Southern Cross' network infrastructure. This milestone offers enhanced network pathways between Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

According to Southern Cross, the use of Ciena's WaveLogic 6 Extreme optic technology is crucial for improving the reliability and resilience of connectivity throughout the Oceania region. This advancement supports Southern Cross' intention to meet the rising demand for bandwidth driven by artificial intelligence, video, content, and cloud applications.

During trials, the new channel reached an error-free speed of 1 Tb/s on Southern Cross' live network, spanning between Sydney and Los Angeles. "Transforming and modernizing our networks to support next-generation applications and growing bandwidth demands is part of our ongoing 20+ year commitment to the Pacific," said Laurie Miller, President and CEO of Southern Cross Cables Limited.

Southern Cross is planning to implement the WaveLogic 6 Extreme technology across various segments starting from the first quarter of 2025—particularly on Southern Cross NEXT cable, offering low latency connectivity between Sydney, Auckland, and Los Angeles. The network, which includes three submarine cables, links Australia, New Zealand, and the mainland United States, stretching over 45,000 kilometres of submarine fibers and providing 100 terabits per second of connectivity capability.

The network's enhancement will also aim to upgrade capacity by over 100 times its original design potential using Ciena's GeoMesh Extreme solution. Miller added, "Working with Ciena and adapting our network with their latest coherent optical solution illustrates our pledge to the ongoing enhancement of critical digital infrastructure for our region."

Dino DiPerna, Senior Vice President, Global Research and Development at Ciena, commented, "As AI and cloud applications continue to increase capacity requirements for data centers, cloud and service providers are working with private cable operators like Southern Cross to expand their footprint and offer reliable connectivity."

Southern Cross' network is a crucial component in facilitating connectivity between 20 key nodes across Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and the US West Coast, linking these regions to global digital markets. It offers secure interconnectivity, vital for catering to modern service demands, including the anticipated expansion to 800GbE services.