FEATURE
TESTING HOLLOWCORE FIBER IN SUBSEA NETWORK DATA CENTER INTERCONNECT BY OLIVIER CÔTÉ
H
yperscalers and data center operators globally are faced with exponential growth in data traffic and increased demand for high-speed, high reliability connectivity being driven by AI applications. Globally, the volume of digital data being generated and transmitted is staggering—generally estimated in the order of hundreds of millions of terabytes every day. Exponential growth in scale of data transmitted puts pressure on data centers, especially at cable landing stations where subsea networks connect with terrestrial systems.
92 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE
Reliable data center interconnect (DCI) is critical to enable fast and reliable transmission of data pouring in from those submarine cables. And with higher speeds and feeds on traditional fiber optic cables that interconnect with neighboring data centers come loss and latency challenges that can compromise the stability of network performance. Enter hollow-core fiber (HCF), a new technology that is gaining traction as a viable alternative to traditional fiber optic cable. The ultimate benefit of HCF is acceleration in the propagation of light via an air or gas core versus