Ciena's WaveLogic 6 to lift ACE subsea cable capacity beyond 30 Tb/s
The Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable consortium has selected Ciena to upgrade its 17,000-kilometre system connecting Western Europe with West and South Africa. Using Ciena's 6500 platform with WaveLogic 6 Extreme, the cable will exceed 30 Tb/s capacity without replacing existing line terminal equipment. Ciena will also provide ongoing maintenance and support for future traffic growth between the regions.
The upgrade leverages Ciena's coherent optical technology to boost capacity on the existing cable infrastructure without requiring replacement of the current submarine line terminal equipment. This approach minimizes operational disruption while enabling the system to serve its 18 landing stations across the 17,000-kilometre route.
ACE's management noted the upgrade supports regional service providers reaching more than 500 million people, with Ciena also committing to ongoing maintenance and future capacity expansions. The project aligns with broader efforts to strengthen digital connectivity between Africa and Europe, supporting cloud adoption and economic growth across the region.
This upgrade could significantly improve internet access and digital services for communities across West and South Africa, potentially enabling faster cloud adoption and greater economic participation for the more than 500 million people within the cable's reach. Improved connectivity may also support education, healthcare, and business innovation in regions where reliable international bandwidth has historically been limited. However, the benefits depend on how effectively local service providers translate this expanded capacity into affordable, accessible services for end users.