Hawaiki cable sets new speed record with Ciena’s WaveLogic 6

May 30, 2025 10:41 AM

BW Digital has revealed a significant breakthrough in transpacific data transmission, achieving 1.2 Tb/s per wavelength across a 4,300km span of the Hawaiki Transpacific Cable system.

This landmark field trial, conducted using Ciena’s GeoMesh Extreme and WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) coherent technology on Waveserver platforms, showcases a leap in spectral efficiency and energy savings—critical as demand for high-capacity, sustainable connectivity between Australasia and the US continues to grow.

In operation since 2018, the 15,000km Hawaiki cable delivers vital datacentre-to-datacentre connections linking Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and the United States.

“The trial results announced today validate our strategy to focus on innovation to offer scalable, high-capacity solutions to our customers while constantly improving sustainability,” said Virginie Frouin, chief business officer at BW Digital.

“By integrating cutting-edge technology into our cable infrastructure, we further strengthen our digital ecosystem and create opportunities for our customers to leverage spectrum sharing and maximise their investment as the pace of innovation increases,” she added.

Ivan Polizzi, regional managing director at Ciena said: “BW Digital’s WL6e trial underscores the readiness of advanced coherent optics in improving the sustainability and operational economics of managing submarine networks today.”

He continued: “Our long-standing collaboration with BW Digital continues to deliver technical and operational milestones, demonstrating the value of innovation in long-haul subsea cable systems.”