DALLAS, TEXAS – (August 23, 2011) – Xtera Communications, Inc., a leading global provider of optical networking solutions, and Kokusai Cable Ship Co., Ltd., a leading provider of marine operations services for cables, today announced that AT&T contracted the two companies to build the GOKI (Guam, Okinawa, Kyushu, Incheon) submarine cable system.
Xtera will provide project management, system design, system integration and the Submarine Line Terminal Equipment (SLTE). Kokusai Cable Ship Co., Ltd. (KCS) will recover and re-lay portions of Transpacific-5 (TPC-5) and a retired regional submarine cable, as well as supply new cable and submerged equipment that will become part of the new solution.
Xtera and KCS will partner to build the 4200 km GOKI system by combining approximately 1300 km of redeployed cable with remaining sections of the TPC-5 and a retired regional submarine cable. The new system will be fitted with Xtera’s Nu-Wave XLR regional repeatered SLTE to maximize capacity.
TPC-5, an early first generation optically amplified submarine cable system, uses dispersion-shifted fiber and had an original design capacity of two 5 Gb/s channels per fiber pair. The retired regional submarine cable system is a second generation system utilizing wavelength division multiplexers (WDM) to offer a maximum original capacity of 35 Gb/s (14 x 2.5 Gb/s). Xtera was selected because of its submarine engineering expertise in addressing the design challenges associated with deploying a cable system that uses fibers from existing systems with different optical characteristics. With the Nu-wave XLR terminal equipment, the re-engineered system will have a maximum capacity of at least 80 Gb/s (8 x 10 Gb/s). Combining existing and new assets while providing a significant increase in capacity enables AT&T to improve their return on the value of these submarine assets.
The selection of Xtera to supply the SLTE and provide redeployment services including: project management, system design and integration services, demonstrates the company’s leadership and expertise in the design of submarine systems and high-performance submarine optical equipment.
In addition, the partnership with KCS demonstrates Xtera’s capability as a provider of complete solutions for redeployment as well as new systems. The partnership with KCS as the wet plant partner is a key building block for Xtera’s turn-key offering. It leverages the core competencies of KCS and Xtera. “KCS, a leading provider of marine operations services for cables in Western Pacific and North/West Asia, enhances Xtera’s offering with their exceptional marine skills,” says Jon Hopper, President and Chief Executive Officer of Xtera Communications.
“KCS is very pleased to work on the GOKI project in partnership with Xtera,” says, Ryoichi Yatabe, President of Kokusai Cable Ship Company. He also added, “KCS had a successful experience on recovery and re-lay work utilizing a retired cable system in the Japan Sea about 3 years ago. This new project will prove KCS’s performance and capability on various marine services and be another milestone for KCS.”
About Xtera Communications
Xtera Communications specializes in network infrastructure that delivers maximum capacity, reach and value. Providing solutions for enterprise and telecom companies, Xtera offers an extensive portfolio of optical and IP networking solutions for submarine, long-haul, regional, metropolitan network applications and IP networking solutions for enterprise applications. With deployments across five continents, Xtera’s optical transport solutions help service providers expand and accelerate their market reach with new deployments and extend the life of existing network assets with cost-effective upgrades. Our IP networking solutions for WAN traffic management deliver efficient, flexible network optimization. Xtera’s innovative Technologies offer exceptional quality and performance, driving customer success. For more information, visit www.xtera.com.
About Kokusai Cable Ship Company Ltd.
Kokusai Cable Ship Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of KDDI in Japan, specializes in the installation and maintenance of submarine cables, oceanographic surveys and research. Since the establishment in 1966, Kokusai Cable Ship Co., Ltd. (KCS) has been engaged in installation and maintenance of submarine cables, which are infrastructure for international communication networks. By making the best use of the expertise and high technologies cultivated through the rich experience, KCS offers a wide range of services such as installation of earthquake detection systems in nearby seas in Japan, a survey on cable burial conditions and whale behavior using the autonomous underwater robot, AE2000, and the best route selection for submarine cable laying, in addition to the services using the cable ships.
For more information, visit www.k-kcs.co.jp/english.
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