System design and integration issues for the first transatlantic 5 Gbit/s submarine network

Discusses line integration tests for the TAT 12/TAT 13 submarine optical network. The TAT-12 TAT-13 integration tests have been the occasion for the suppliers to demonstrate that a wet interface could be realised on amplified systems even with different designs of equipment. The practical integration phases have led to a continuous improvement in the knowledge of transmission properties of optically amplified systems, and has allowed the suppliers of TAT-12 and TAT-13 to deliver to the owners the first long-haul transoceanic optically amplified systems meeting the stringent performance levels required for this type of link to specification and on schedule