TIM Brasil, Xtera deploy first 100G optical network over 2 400km in the Amazon region

TIM Brasil, the fastest-growing operator in Brazil, selected and deployed 100G optical networking equipment supplied by Xtera Communications, a leading global provider of optical networking solutions, on a long-haul transmission infrastructure. This newly built infrastructure connects three Amazon states in the northern part of Brazil by their capitals: Manaus, Macap'a and Bel'em. Xtera's Nu-Wave Optima 100G optical networking platform offers both the high capacity and long-span capabilities that help TIM Brasil expand reach and increase the capacity of transmission network through the Amazon region in Brazil.

This new optical backbone network was built using the tower transmission lines and power substations of the LT Amazon consortium to transport the TIM Brasil cables across 27 cities in the states of Amazonas, Par'a and Amap'a. Given the challenging geography of this network environment, the lengths of five out of the 14 spans that make up this infrastructure exceed 200km between sites where active optical equipment is positioned. The longest of these spans reaches nearly 260km.

"The construction of the first 100G backbone in the Amazon is an innovative and challenging project, connecting one of the most important cities in the Amazon region - Manaus - that will host the 2014 FIFA World Cup. This project will bring many benefits to the regional population and reinforces the commitment of TIM for expanding and improving its network throughout Brazil," says Cicero Olivieri, Director of Fixed & Transport Network of TIM Brazil. "We are pleased with the performance of Xtera's technology, highlighted by the long-span capability and the minimal number of regeneration sites throughout the network, and with their commitment to take on the challenges inherent to any deployment in the Amazon region."

"We are pleased to have been offered an additional opportunity to demonstrate how effective Xtera's 100G solution is when it comes to bridging long spans with no intermediate equipment. This is achieved with the combination of powerful soft-decision forward error correction in our 100G interface cards and our innovative Raman optical amplification technology," said Manuel Andrade, SVP Sales Americas of Xtera. "In the past years, Xtera has equipped multiple optical networks built on OPGW cable and transmission towers coming from power utilities. In addition to the technological challenge of long spans this project presented, given the geography, an exceptional logistics challenge that we addressed by close co-operation with TIM Brasil and our local implementation partners Tellabs do Brasil."

Xtera's Nu-Wave Optima platform is a unique modular optical transport system designed to lower the total cost of ownership by using a common, integrated set of modules for long-haul, unrepeatered and regional repeatered submarine applications.

The proven Nu-Wave Optima multi-purpose platform offers unparalleled 100G WDM performance in real network conditions based on the combination of the industry's most powerful 100G technology and unique line equipment to face different span configurations. For terrestrial backbone networks, the Nu-Wave Optima equipment delivers an unrivalled line capacity of 15Tbit/s on more than 3 000km with no intermediate regeneration. For unrepeatered applications, a capacity of eight x 100G was recently transmitted over a 481km cable.