The Southern Cross cable network underwent a major upgrade project to increase its capacity and deploy new technologies. The upgrade included: 1) Implementing a unified layer 0 and 1 platform to provide both submarine and terrestrial segments as a seamless network, minimizing conversions with ROADMs and wavelength switching. 2) Upgrading all seven submarine segments and five terrestrial segments with 40G and 100G coherent wavelengths for a total of 2.8T of new capacity. 3) Deploying a single service platform to efficiently switch, groom, and protect traffic across protocols from a single node using intelligent switching.

1. Case Study – Upgrading of Southern Cross
Dean Veverka
1 Director Networks & VP Operations

2. Objective
Network Overview
Upgrade Drivers
Upgrade Project
Benefits
Upgrade Strategies

3.  30,500 km 2 cable ring network
 99.999%+ availability
 Constructed 2000-01
 Engineered until 2025
 Commercial service until 2025+
 Cost: US$1.4B
2 cables connect Aust/NZ
to the USA

4. Repeater:- F2
133km
Nedonna [X]
•Spacing 50-80 km, Depth up to 8 km Hillsboro
•Power I/P -0.4 dBm, Power O/P +10 dBm
F1
4,538km
23mS E
•Wavelengths [ 193.7 THz - 192.2 THz ] 63 Rpt
68km Sp F1+F2 1,593km
1547.72 nm 1559.79 nm 16
•Supervision by over modulation @ 150 kHZ 8mS
Kahe
Cable:- Point [Y]
•Resistance:- 1.6 Ohm / km @ 100 C I Morro
G1 458km Bay [Y]
•Attenuation:- 0.21dB / km 5,828km 7 Rpt D 21mS
93 Rpt 2mS 76km Sp
•Delay:- 5uS / km 63km Sp 4,135km
56 Rpt
Power Feed:- Spencer 74km Sp
G2 29mS Beach
•Voltage up to 10 KV 3,543km Suva [X] [X]
•Current 1.02mA 46 Rpt Fuji
78km Sp
40mS
18mS
Brookvale [Y] C
8,002km
152 Rpt Fuji
H 53km Sp
31km
11mS
B
15km
Alexandria [Y]
0 Rpt
Takapuna [Y]
Whenuapai [X] 4

5. Phase Date Capacity (Gbps)
A RFS-1 (15th Nov 2000) 2.5Gλ 25
B RFS-2 (28th Feb 2001) 50
C RFS-3 (Jun 2001) 110
D Nov 2001 160
E April 2002 240
F March 2003 10Gλ 480
G 2009-2010 1,200
H1 Feb 2012 40Gλ 1,600
H2 Apr 2013 100Gλ 2,400
5

6. 40G Total
2.5Gλ
1.5T Total
460G Total
40/100Gλ
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10Gλ

7. FTTH
24-100 Mbps
2012+
Hi-Speed
8Mbps
Download Growth
2008-2012
2008+
Broadband
250kbps Personal
2005-2008 Cloud
Dial-up Access Speed
64Kbps 2005-2008 Content
Pre 2004
Online/Streaming Video
Subscriber Growth 1TB caps
Pre 2005 data $0.18/GB
P2P
Browsing
Pre 2003
Small data caps
data $358/GB
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8.  Unified Layer 0 and Layer 1 Deployment
6500 Packet-Optical platform provides both Layer 0 (Photonics) and Layer 1 intelligent
coherent-based transponders in a single network node
ROADMs used to photonically bypass Landing Stations, minimise OEO conversions,
significantly reduce latency, lower power/space requirements, and improve end-to-end
network availability
 Combined Subsea and Terrestrial Deployment
6500 Packet-Optical platform provides both Submarine and Terrestrial segments providing
seamless integration and wavelength switching – erases traditional submarine/terrestrial
demarcation point
Seven submarine segments deployed on dark fibre pair with 40G coherent-based wavelengths
with the longest segment over 8,000km
Five terrestrial segments upgraded on existing photonics system with 40G and 100G
coherent-based wavelengths
Every segment uses OTN transport from end to end with a total of 2.8T of upgrade capacity
 Single Service Platform
Switching: 1.2T or 3.6T of SDH/OTN intelligent switching capacity and packet switches
Unified service platform can efficiently switch, groom, and protect SDH, SONET, OTN, and
Packet traffic natively, all within the same node and same switch fabric
OneConnect control plane intelligence deployed across all switches for differentiated SLAs,
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increased network resilience, automated operations, and improved bandwidth utilization

9. 9

10.  New Products
New Interface Rates: 10G OTU-2, 40G OTU-3 & 40GE. With 100G OTU-4 and 100GE coming
New Protection Options: Intelligent resilient mesh and multi-failure restoration
 New Technology
Transport: 40G and 100G coherent-based submarine wavelengths on all seven segments
Switching: 1.2T or 3.6T unified SONET/SDH/OTN capacity and Packet switches at all POPs
Fully end-to-end OTN network
 New Flexibility
Fully flexible wavelength switches at all sites
Single Service platform can efficiently switch, groom and protect SDH, SONET, OTN and
Packet traffic natively, all within the same switch fabric
Single Management Platform provides consolidated control of Layer 0, Layer 1 and Layer 2
end to end (POP to POP)
Intelligent control plane enabling Differentiated Service Level Agreements tailored to
customer specific network requirements
 Capacity Growth
Capacity growth with simple cards insertions, in-service. and hitless
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11.  Unified Layer 0 and Layer 1 with 40G and 100G
Wavelength Switching
 Trans Pacific Integrated Subsea and Terrestrial
Deployment
 Single Service Platform providing Control Plane and
Mesh restoration of SDH, OTN and Packet
 Integrated Network and Service Management visibility
across all layers
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12. 400G/1TB+
<STM-4 STM-4 to 64 10/40/100G+
(future)
Low Cap High Cap Very High
Private Private Cap Private
Line Line Line
SDH TECHNOLOGY OTN TECHNOLOGY
Low Cap High Cap
Ethernet Switched
Ethernet Ethernet
Point to
Private Private Ethernet
Multipoint
Line Line Ethernet
ETHERNET OVER SDH TECHNOLOGY ETHERNET MPLS TECHNOLOGY Developments
(future)
(Basic)
Corporate
Private Line /
Web
Peer to Peer
Video Streaming
/ Content
Futur
browsing
Voice
/ email
Consolidation e?
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13. PLANNING
Upgrade strategy Overall O&M lifecycle
5 year planning Infrastructure
Future technologies Network Management
Customer requirements New products and
Business Case Services
Network Impacts
Customer Impacts
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14. 14

15. Dean Veverka Director Networks & VP Operations
Dean has been with Southern Cross for over 10 years holding various
operational and technical positions in Southern Cross and previously in
Optus and OTC Limited. Dean is the current Chairman of the
International Submarine Cable Protection Committee (ICPC), and
Treasurer of the North American Submarine Cable Association (NASCA).