TE Subcom, Nistica partner on submarine network wavelength-selective switches

TE SubCom, a TE Connectivity Ltd. company, has paired with wavelength-selective switch (WSS) specialists Nistica, a Fujikura subsidiary (see "Fujikura to acquire WSS vendor Nistica"), to jointly develop WSS modules for submarine networks. The modules have completed Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT) and all undersea reliability milestones and are therefore ready for deployment, the teammates say.

The new modules, modified versions of Nistica's terrestrial WSS modules (see, for example, "Nistica offers high port-count waveblocker array" and "Nistica announces partnerships with NTT Electronics, Cyan"), offer multiple 1xN WSS capabilities in a single package. They are designed to operate within a 5.2-THz bandwidth window and support a grid-flexible channel plan with granularity of 3.125 GHz.

TE Subcom sees several ways in which the WSS modules can benefit submarine cable networks. "Our grid-flexible branching units will improve network capacity and robustness as well as flexibility in next-generation undersea networks," asserts Neal Bergano, TE Subcom's CTO.

"The lessons learned from this project can be applied in the deployment of future products for our terrestrial customers as well," added Ashish Vengsarkar, CEO of Nistica.

For more information on WSS modules and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer's Guide.