C&W Networks adds 400G support to CFX-1 and EWC submarine cables

Sept. 26, 2022
The 2400-km CFX-1 express submarine cable links the United States, Jamaica and Colombia with less than 25-ms latency. The 1,700-km EWC undersea cable connects the British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic.

Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) says that it is supplying elements of its GeoMesh Extreme optical transport technology portfolio to C&W Networks. The Caribbean and Latin American wholesale services provider is using the gear to enable support of 400G broadband and IP services on its CFX-1 (Colombia-Florida Express) and EWC (East West Cable) submarine cable networks.

The 2400-km CFX-1 express submarine cable links the United States, Jamaica and Colombia with less than 25-ms latency. The 1,700-km EWC undersea cable connects the British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic.

The GeoMesh Extreme elements include the 6500 Packet-Optical Platform, sporting WaveLogic 5 Extreme coherent optics. The upgrade will add significant capacity to the submarine networks, including more than 32 Tbps, a 10X increase, of the CFX-1 submarine networks. C&W Networks also will leverage Ciena’s Manage, Control and Plan (MCP) domain controller for network management and Ciena Services for deployment and reconfiguration.

“Online content, especially streaming video, continues to drive robust demand for data and high-speed connectivity in the regions we serve. The additional capacity we’re turning up on CFX-1 and EWC with Ciena allows us to meet this demand head-on, enriching our service offerings for customers while sustainably and cost-effectively extending the lifespan of these cable systems,” stated Chris Coles, vice president and general manager, C&W Networks.

For related articles, visit the Network Design Topic Center.

For more information on high-speed transmission systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.

To stay abreast of fiber network deployments, subscribe to Lightwave’s Service Providers and Datacom/Data Center newsletters.

About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave

Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.

Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.

He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.

Sponsored Recommendations

Innovating the network edge with 100ZR QSFP28: The next frontier in coherent optics

Jan. 15, 2025
In this webinar, Juniper Networks, EXFO and Precision Optical Technologies are teaming up to showcase the new 100ZR QSFP28 pluggable coherent technology, exploring its foundational...

Linear Pluggable Optics – The low-power optical interconnects for AI and Hyperscaled data centers.

Dec. 23, 2024
This LightWave webinar discussion will review the important technical differentiators found in this emerging interconnect field and how the electro/optic interoperability and ...

Optical Transceivers in the Age of AI: Impacts, Challenges, and Opportunities

Jan. 13, 2025
Join our webinar to explore how AI is transforming optical transceivers, data center networking, and Nvidia's GPU-driven architectures, unlocking new possibilities in speed, performance...

ON TOPIC: Filling Coverage Gaps, Enhancing Public Safety

Jan. 30, 2025
With the ongoing drive to support AI and the need for high-speed data center interconnection, the call for higher-speed 800G optical technology is emerging. Initially focused ...