Sending Signals Record Distances Without Regenerators
The dream of infinite, high-speed bandwidth took a step closer toreality when a telco recently sent a 10-Gbps optical signal 6,400
kilometers without using optical-to-electrical regenerators,
setting a new record.
The carrier, Williams Communications Group Inc., used Corvis
Corp.'s CorWave system, which eliminates the need to convert
optical signals to electrical signals and back again in signal
regenerators. The development should make it cheaper to shoot
large amounts of data coast to coast.
Having to regenerate signals makes long-distance circuits
prohibitively expensive and restricts the number of optical
channels, says Chris Nicoll, VP of Current Analysis Inc.
Nationwide virtual-private-optical networks,
content-distribution, wavelength-on-demand, and rich-media
services could all benefit from this development.
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