Undersea systems: Technologies and applications

Worldwide 96% of all global communications pass through submarine cables. With the increase in demand for capacity and trans-continental connectivity undersea industry is putting more kilometers of cable under the water than at any time in history. The new systems have to deliver performance and quality over long term in the face of rapid technological advancements. Coherent technologies spring new life into upgrades of existing cables increasing the original design capacity by several times. The performance improvements, ever tighter spectral efficiencies, and faster bit rates demonstrated in the laboratories have been staggering. This symposium will contrast the research advances versus the carrier needs and system vendor perspectives on readily deployable technologies. Furthermore, we will discuss expansion of undersea cable applications into such areas as scientific undersea laboratories and offshore oil and gas platform connectivity.