Applying WDM technology to undersea cable networks

WDM technology is now being applied to international undersea fiber optic cable networks in order to provide enhancements such as increased network capacity and greater network flexibility. This article looks at what WDM technology can provide, the progress being made, and the special challenges in its application in undersea networks. We then describe several international undersea networks that, when completed by the end of 1999, will use WDM technology and will serve as a major part of the global undersea fiber optic infrastructure connecting the world.