System performance evaluation of the FSA submarine optical amplifier system

The FSA submarine optical amplifier system developed for commercial use is designed to transmit 2.5 and 10 Gb/s signals flexibly; its repeater spacing is 90 km. It contains six line pairs to yield a maximum transmission capacity of 60 Gb/s. Its system configuration, and the characteristics of its fibers and optical amplifiers, which realize effective dispersion and optical passband management, are introduced. We discuss its performance with regard to the parameters significant in optically amplified transmission: evolution of zero dispersion wavelength (ZDW), polarization mode dispersion (PMD), and fiber nonlinearity induced impairments. Signal-to-noise ratios (SNR's) for 2.5 and 10 Gb/s signal transmission are measured and the improvements offered by polarization scrambling are also discussed. Finally, ZDW, PMD, and SNR characteristics of the system after installation are reported.