Altibox Carrier has demonstrated the world’s first 1.6 Tb/s single-carrier wavelength transmission on an in-service subsea cable, using Ciena’s WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) coherent optics on the company’s NO-UK system.
The live 1.6 Tb/s channel ran error-free on Altibox Carrier’s production network between Norway and the UK, proving that next-generation terabit wavelengths are ready for real-world subsea operations. The connectivity milestone saw WL6e perform effortlessly at 1.6 Tb/s over an in-service submarine cable and demonstrated a spectral efficiency greater than 9 b/s/Hz.
Leveraging Ciena’s WL6e technology, the solution shows significant improvements in capacity and spectral efficiency versus prior generations, while holding stringent performance targets on a live subsea span. The result underscores Altibox Carrier’s ability to scale efficiently and sustainably as traffic surges from AI, content distribution, video, and cloud applications.
By incorporating WL6e into its roadmap, Altibox Carrier is further enhancing network scalability and intelligence.
“The global data center market, especially in Norway, is undergoing historic expansion. This positions us to deliver higher-capacity, resilient pathways across Europe and to key international hubs”, said Svein Arild Ims, CEO of Altibox Carrier.
“Altibox Carrier and Ciena have once again joined forces to reinforce Norway’s position as a leading data center hub,” said Thomas Soerensen, Vice President, Global Submarine Solutions, Ciena. “This industry-first milestone and planned deployment of WaveLogic 6 will allow Altibox Carrier to efficiently scale its network and address surging bandwidth demands driven by AI, cloud and data center expansion.”
This announcement builds on Altibox Carrier’s 800G network upgrade utilizing Ciena’s Waveserver 5 platform powered by WaveLogic 5 Extreme and 6500 flexible grid open line system to connect Norway to digital hubs in Amsterdam, Brussels, London and Hamburg.
About Altibox Carrier
Altibox Carrier provides international connectivity and high-speed data services across the Nordics and Europe. The company operates the NO-UK subsea cable between Norway and the UK and the Skagen Fiber West cable between Norway and Denmark, integrated with an extensive terrestrial network. Altibox Carrier is co-owned by Lyse and HitecVision.
About Ciena
Ciena is the global leader in high-speed connectivity. We build the world’s most adaptive networks to support exponential growth in bandwidth demand. By harnessing the power of our networking systems, components, automation software, and services, Ciena revolutionizes data transmission and network management. With unparalleled expertise and innovation, we empower our customers, partners, and communities to thrive in the AI era. For updates on Ciena, follow us on LinkedIn and X, or visit the Ciena Insights webpage and Ciena website.
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