Infinera Completes Successful Fiber-Optic Field Test on Trans-Atlantic Route
Infinera has successfully completed a subsea field test on a modern trans-Atlantic route. The field test was conducted with the Infinera XTS-3300 meshponder and demonstrated the potential of 19 terabits per second (19T) per fiber pair, delivering the highest spectral efficiency on a major trans-Atlantic route to operate with stable, commercial-ready performance margin.
The XTS-3300 is powered by the new Infinera Infinite Capacity Engine 4 (ICE4) and is part of the company’s Intelligent Transport Network portfolio optimized for long-haul subsea applications. It delivers enhanced pre- and post-dispersion compensation, digitally synthesized Nyquist subcarriers and soft-decision forward error correction gain sharing. The trial validates ICE4’s transmission of 8QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) 600 gigabits per second (600G) super-channel in 140 gigahertz of spectrum, delivering the highest spectral efficiency of 4.3 bits per second per hertz with commercial-ready performance margin.
“While optical vendors have demonstrated experimental approaches to boost subsea fiber capacity, the Infinera XTS-3300 is the first commercial platform that can deliver over 19T of capacity on a trans-Atlantic route,” said Andrew Schmitt, Lead Analyst at Cignal AI. “The XTS-3300 trial used tighter channel spacing and advanced compensation techniques in the DSP, paving the way for operators to deploy highly efficient platforms that maximize subsea fiber spectrum utilization.”
Infinera’s ICE4-based DTN-X XT Series and XTS Series are expected to be available for purchase this quarter. The company’s Cloud Xpress 2, which also is powered by ICE4, began shipping in the second quarter of 2017.
Related News
From Archive
- Inside Sempra’s 72-mile pipeline with 18 major trenchless crossings
- Trump vetoes bill to finish $1.3 billion Colorado water pipeline
- PHMSA warns of heat risks in aging plastic gas distribution pipelines following deadly Pennsylvania explosion
- Infrastructure failure releases 100,000 gallons of wastewater in Houston; repairs ongoing
- OSHA seeks $1.2 million fine after fatal trench collapse in Connecticut
- Worm-like robot burrows underground to cut power line installation costs
- First tunnel boring machines complete testing for Hudson Tunnel Project
- Infrastructure failure releases 100,000 gallons of wastewater in Houston; repairs ongoing
- Construction jobs stumble into 2026 after weak year
- NWPX grows water infrastructure portfolio with Colorado precast facility

Comments