Transatlantic terabit network rollout increases capacity by 20% and reduces power consumption by 50%
Colt Technology Services (Colt), the global digital infrastructure company and Ciena (NYSE: CIEN), the global leader in high-speed connectivity, today announced the successful rollout of a powerful new transatlantic and terrestrial terabit network to support two global content providers. The expanded network will help the hyperscalers meet growing demand for capacity driven by the rise in AI content; gaming and video streaming services; and changes in enterprise IT while reducing power consumption and carbon emissions.
Using Ciena’s advanced WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) transponder1, the rollout increases capacity by 20% on a single fibre compared to previous generation models and enables Colt to achieve a 50% reduction in space, power consumption, and carbon emissions compared to earlier generation transponders. It follows the successful completion of the world’s first 1.2 terabit per second (Tbps) wavelength transmission across the Atlantic Ocean announced by Colt and Ciena in November 2024.
AI workloads on transatlantic cables are set to jump from 8% of capacity in 2025 to 30% by 20352, placing extra strain on global routes and potentially causing more lag and slower speeds for users. Content providers consume 74% of total used international bandwidth, up from just 5% in 2005, estimate Telegeography in its Transport Networks Research Service3. This pressure on capacity is prompting visionary businesses like Colt and Ciena to explore new technologies which help hyperscalers and enterprises meet demand without increasing power consumption or carbon emissions.
Buddy Bayer, chief operating officer, Colt Technology Services said, “This technology is transformational to global content providers and their ability to manage future demand. Imagine being able to stream millions of HD movies simultaneously, where previously you could stream just one, or increasing cloud gaming capacity on your network by 140% – that’s the impact of what Colt and Ciena are providing. To do this responsibly is critical, and we’re constantly finding ways for our solutions to work harder and perform better while aligning with our, and our customers’, sustainability goals.”
“Colt and Ciena have joined forces once again to strengthen connectivity across transatlantic routes, as well as build out new managed optical fibre networks across Europe and Asia,” said Dino DiPerna, senior vice president, global research and development, Ciena. “Through these new MOFN managed optical fibre network projects and major upgrades to existing subsea networks, we are building the supporting ecosystem to power the AI era, paving the foundations for hyperscalers and neoscalers alike.”
Colt has adopted Ciena’s WL6e into its transatlantic route across the Grace Hopper subsea cable as well as into terrestrial connections from Dublin, Ireland to London, UK and through networks in parts of Asia. With WL6e, Colt can potentially generate 1.5 times the network capacity of the traditional C-band spectrum4.
Using WL6e, Colt’s transatlantic capacity per wave has surged from 450 Gbps to 1.2 Tbps, achieving a 140% enhancement over approximately 6,500 km: the equivalent of previous capacity (450 Gbps) supporting around 18,000 simultaneous cloud gaming sessions (at 25 Mbps each), to new capacity (1.2 Tbps) supporting around 44,000 simultaneous sessions.
For terrestrial links, the capacity between Lisbon, Portugal and Madrid, Spain has increased from 600 Gbps to 1.5 Tbps, also reflecting a 140% rise over roughly 750 km.
Notes to Editors
1Transponders are used in networks – particularly across long-haul networks like subsea cables – to boost signals, taking an incoming signal or light from a piece of fibre, converting it to an electrical signal, amplifying it then converting it back to light before sending it onward. They allow data to travel across an extended distance while maintaining high quality. Ciena’s WL6e uses coherent optics, which allows signals to travel a long distance without losing quality. It facilitates up to a 50% reduction in power and space compared to previous 800G solutions, and a 15% improvement in spectral efficiency.
2 Estimated from sources:
Cisco
- Cisco Delivers 800Gbps on Amitié Transatlantic Cable [newsroom.cisco.com]
- Cisco Demonstrates 26.4Tbps on MAREA Transatlantic Subsea Cable [newsroom.cisco.com]
TeleGeography
- Submarine Cable FAQs [www2.teleg…graphy.com]
- Building Tomorrow’s Internet: A 2025 Update on Cable Investment
- Submarine Cable Connectivity in the Atlantic [www.transa…lantic.org]
Analysys Mason
- Submarine Cable Market: Worldwide Forecast 2023–2029 [www.analys…smason.com]
- The Global Submarine Fibre-Optic Telecoms Cable Market Will Grow [www.analys…smason.com]
3 Telegeography, Transport Networks Research Service
4 The C-band spectrum refers to a range of radio frequencies used for telecommunications and wireless data transmission, especially in 5G networks.
Note: 80 Tbps capacity enables the streaming of 10 million HD movies (5GB each) simultaneously, while C-band can handle a single HD movie stream.
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