Menara Deployed in Subsea Network

DALLAS -- Menara Networks, a vertically integrated provider of IP/Ethernet DWDM transport solutions that greatly simplify optical networking, today announced that its award-winning OTN “System-in-Module” DWDM XFP transponder is providing 10 GbE backbone transmission over an 850 km cabled underwater research facility off the coast of Oregon as part of the Regional Scale Nodes (RSN), the cabled observatory component of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Ocean Observatory Initiative (OOI).The OOI is an NSF-funded large facility intended to provide 25 years of sustained ocean measurements to study climate variability, ocean circulation and ecosystem dynamics, air-sea exchange, seafloor processes and plate-scale geodynamics. The OOI is a networked infrastructure of interactive, science-driven sensor systems to measure the physical, chemical, geological and biological variables in the ocean and seafloor. Greater knowledge of these variables is vital for improved detection and forecasting of environmental changes and their effects on biodiversity, coastal ecosystems and climate.A component of OOI, the RSN will initially provide up to 170 kW of power and 240 Gbps of TCP/IP Internet data communications to the seven primary science nodes on the Juan de Fuca Plate off the Washington and Oregon coasts. It is being designed, built and installed by L-3 MariPro under an awarded contract from the University of Washington, the RSN Implementing Organization. The 25-year life system will allow for the possibility of significant expansion capabilities to serve future science needs and technological advances with minimal impact to the initially installed primary infrastructure.“We needed a reliable, 10 GbE DWDM transmission solution able to support the high reliability requirements of subsea applications while minimizing the footprint on our wet plant. Traditional chassis-based transponders were not a viable option given space and power requirements,” said Dan Chabot, vice president of business operations for L-3 MariPro. “Menara’s DWDM transponder system in an XFP form factor is an ideal “zero footprint” solution that we seamlessly integrated into our Ethernet switch, allowing the wet plant footprint to be used solely by the switches and power equipment.”“Oceans are the earth’s largest ecosystem and thus significantly influence our planet’s climate and our well-being,” said Adam Hotchkiss, Menara Networks Vice President of Product Management. “We are pleased that Menara’s leading-edge technology and expertise are used to allow scientists and engineers everywhere to monitor, observe and interact remotely and in real time with the suite of instruments and sensors that is now available to them via the RSN infrastructure. Our selection by L-3 MariPro for the OOI is a further validation of the high quality and robustness of the products the Menara team has been delivering to our customers over the years.”Menara Networks