Next generation undersea lightwave systems

The installation by AT&T, STC, Submarcom, and KDD of the first undersea lightwave cable systems connecting the United States to England and France (TAT-8) and to the Far East (HAW-4 and TPC-3) is discussed. In the 1990s, undersea lightwave systems are expected to grow in capacity and complexity. Systems planned for the early 1990s that use direct modulation and detection of long-wavelength distributed-feedback lasers are described. Reliability and transmission needs are among the issues of discussion in this survey of next-generation undersea fiber-optic technology.<>