Cable&Wireless Worldwide combines new 100G European network

The new 1,740-mile 100G network will complement the existing intercontinental 40G network it has in place for the various countries it already serves.

To conduct the new network upgrade, the service provider is not reinventing the wheel. By deploying Ciena's (Nasdaq: CIEN) 6500 Packet Optical Platform, CWW said it can use 100G wavelengths alongside existing in-service 40G channels.

Key points of the 6500 Packet Optical Platform are the WaveLogic processors and receivers that can process and receive signals to upgrade existing network capacity.

"The explosive demand for capacity promises to continue as the number of public and private network connections increases for consumers and businesses and as these connections support bandwidth-intensive applications such as video and remote storage," said John Paul Hemingway, EMEA vice-president of strategic development at Ciena. Addressing this challenge requires a future-proof network that combines intelligence and high capacity--and that is where Ciena's intelligent infrastructure comes in."

Claiming to be longest 100G link, the new network will provide connectivity between London to Monaco with drop-off points in Milan, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and Amsterdam.

It will also support capacity demands on the new Europe India Gateway (EIG) submarine cable that CWW built in conjunction with 16 other international service provider partners to provide connectivity between London and India.