OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Sprint (NYSE:S) today announced it completed a technology trial of the first alien (generated by a device external to the system) wavelength OC768/STM256 40-Gigabit per second (Gbps) transatlantic Internet Protocol (IP) link between New York and LuleA, Sweden. Spanning more than 9,000 km of fiber distance, the circuit includes a 7,630 km segment of transatlantic submarine TAT-14 cable system between Sea Girt, N.J. and BlAbjerg, Denmark. This represents the first time that an OC768 40-Gbps signal was successfully transmitted over a submarine cable using a single wavelength and existing Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) systems.

The trial was made possible with the support of the TAT-14 cable system consortium (a consortium of approximately 40 international telecommunications carriers) and by TAT-14 landing station operator in Denmark, TeliaSonera International Carrier. TeliaSonera International Carrier provided support and optical backhaul from the European cable landing station for TAT-14 to Stockholm and SUnet, the Swedish research and education network that provided the optical path to Lulea in the north of Sweden.

"This successful trial of 40-Gbps over IP on a submarine cable system represents another significant first in IP networking for Sprint," said Kathy Walker, chief information and network officer for Sprint. "It serves as a reminder of how far technology has advanced. TAT-14 and Sprint were the first to transmit data at 10-Gbps (OC192) speeds across the same path in 2001. Sprint and TAT-14 are making history again. By transmitting 40-Gbps over an existing 10-Gbps DWDM system, we've demonstrated that Sprint can increase capacity for its customers while minimizing additional capital and operational costs."

Sprint Corp. (NYSE: S)