Feasibility of 1-Tbit/s (25 x 40 Gbit/s) transoceanic optically regenerated systems

The feasibility of 1-Tbit/s transoceanic systems based on in-line optical regeneration of 40-Gbit/s channels is numerically investigated. The roles of fiber dispersion, fiber mode area, and channel and regenerator spacings are analyzed, and the corresponding operating ranges for error-free transmission are determined. The results represent a first step in designing multi-terabit-per-second global transmission systems based on realistic components and parameters.