While 100G is quickly becoming bandwidth table stakes in the submarine cable sector, Ciena announced today that the Japan-US Cable Network consortium has completed a successful trial of Ciena's 16 QAM 200G technology on a 630 km segment of its network in California. (See Ciena Wraps 200G Japan-US Subsea Test.)

The trial results arrive as Ciena Corp. (NYSE: CIEN) has been on a streak of 100G upgrades for operators in the subsea cable market, working with Pacnet, Southern Cross, and Farice, among others, within the last year or so. (See Southern Cross Completes 100G Upgrade With Ciena and Southern Cross Upgrades With Ciena.)

Yet, as in the terrestrial market, capabilities beyond 100G are generating much trial activity and discussion even as those 100G upgrades still have their new network smell. Ciena already has a piece of a planned 200G terrestrial deployment with Verizon, and in both the case of Verizon and the Japan-US Cable network, the vendor has proven 16 QAM in field tests as a step toward supporting 200G. (See Do We Need 400G?, LR Community Loves Itself Some 400G, and Verizon to Cut Costs With 200G in 2014.)

Ciena's announcement also isn't the only subsea announcement in another busy week for submarine cable news. Malaysian operator TIME dotcom Berhad announced this week that it will contribute a significant portion of the Asia-Africa-Europe 1 cable project, which is due to begin construction soon and be ready in 2016. Also, European operator Colt joined the Metro2C Alliance led by Ireland's Sea Fibre Networks. (See AAE-1 Subsea Project Adds Malaysian Operator and Colt Joins Metro2C Alliance.)

— Dan O'Shea, Managing Editor, Light Reading