MORRISTOWN, N.J. -- Tyco Telecommunications, a business unit of Tyco Electronics and an industry pioneer in undersea communications technology, today announced the successful demonstration of 40Gb/s transmission capabilities using its next generation technology. The trial was completed using an existing 2,500 km undersea system originally designed for 10Gb/s transmission. In-field testing on a live network demonstrated the capability for simultaneous transmission of 40Gb/s and 10Gb/s traffic, which will enable in-service system upgrades and allow Tyco Telecommunications clients to provide more service offerings with high bandwidth requirements.

“This development marks a significant milestone in the evolution of undersea cable transmission capability,” said Dr. Seymour Shapiro, vice president, research and development and chief technology officer of Tyco Telecommunications. “40Gb/s is undoubtedly the next standard for subsea systems, and our successful field demonstration using our new technology proves that Tyco Telecommunications is more than ready to meet customer capacity demands for future and upgraded systems.”

The field trial demonstrated Tyco Telecommunication’s ability to transmit 64 wavelengths of 40Gb/s traffic on an existing 10Gb/s system, which increases system capacity to 2.56 terabits on a single fiber pair.

“As higher bit rates become more prevalent in the terrestrial market, these services will naturally be required on undersea cables, “said David Coughlan, president of Tyco Telecommunications. “This recent successful field trial illustrates Tyco Telecommunications’ dedication to its existing customer base. We chose to demonstrate that the systems we have designed for 10Gb/s transport are not obsolete, rather they can be successfully upgraded to support 40Gb/s without interrupting existing traffic. We’re proud to be able to deliver this new technology to our existing customers and to offer it to potential customers,”

Tyco Telecommunications