Repeaterless undersea lightwave systems

A repeaterless undersea lightwave system connects two terrestrial locations separated by the sea without the need for undersea regeneration of the optical signal. To achieve the longest span length possible, a repeaterless undersea lightwave system combines terrestrial terminals containing superior performance optoelectronic devices with ultrareliable undersea cable technology. As a hybrid system, where the design requirements of both undersea and terrestrial systems apply, a repeaterless undersea lightwave system must be cost-effective, be reliable, and have a large, potentially upgradable capacity. The lightwave technology used to achieve cost-effective, long-span repeaterless undersea lightwave systems is described; attention is given to undersea fiber and cable, lasers and receivers, and terminal equipment. The authors describe the first application of the repeaterless system technology, the Tainan to Peng-Hu system in Taiwan