Using new ultra-long haul optical fibre from telecommunications equipment company Marconi, the link runs from Perth to Melbourne via Adelaide and can transmit 160 channels each providing 10 Gigabit-per-second transmission speeds.
The elimination of intermediate regeneration along the network means transponders need only be installed at the network endpoints, resulting in cost savings and a faster time to market.
The fibre optic cable is based on soliton, or solitary wave, technology. Solitons are a single pulse like wave that can exist in non-linear systems, and do not disperse. The fact that it does not break up, spread out or lose strength over distance makes it ideal for fibre optic communications.
