Trans Pacific Networks (TPN) is deploying Ciena‘s industry-leading optical solutions to provide high-speed, low-latency digital connectivity across the Asia-Pacific region. With Ciena’s technology powering its Echo and Tabua subsea cables, TPN will be able to deliver terabit wavelengths, maximizing the capacity and efficiency of these critical assets. Pioneer Consulting will oversee route engineering, technical quality assurance, and end-to-end project execution.
“TPN is paving the way for a more connected digital experience for half-a-billion users across the U.S. and Pacific,” said Alfred Au Yeung, Chief Operating Officer at Trans Pacific Networks. “With Ciena’s innovative optical solutions and expertise in subsea cable architecture, we can boost capacity and continue to drive economic growth across the Indo-Pacific.”
“Submarine cable operators around the globe are preparing their networks for the AI era,” said Brodie Gage, Senior Vice President, Global Products & Supply Chain at Ciena. “As demand for bandwidth-intensive AI workloads and cloud-based services continues to surge, the need for high-capacity infrastructure has never been more critical. Ciena’s coherent optical innovations will enable TPN to achieve the highest levels of capacity, resiliency, and cost efficiency.”
“Pioneer Consulting is proud to have supported TPN since 2017, from the initial concept inception phase of the Echo cable system, and on through procurement, implementation, now assisting with the transition to operations as TPN prepares to enter commercial service in 2026,” said Austin Shields, Director of Client Solutions at Pioneer Consulting. “It’s been an honor to partner with TPN throughout this procurement process, using our expertise to prepare procurement packages, adjudicate, and finally recommend Ciena to come on board to this momentous project. We’re excited to see the fruits of this very promising partnership.”
Key Facts:
Founded in 2016, TPN is delivering a new, direct, non-stop route from Southeast Asia to the U.S., with the Echo cable system as its flagship. TPN is adding additional systems across the Pacific, including the Tabua cable, to form one cohesive network.
The Echo subsea cable system spans 16,051 kilometers and is the first cable to directly connect the U.S. to Singapore with direct fiber pairs over an express route. It offers lower latency for users accessing applications running on the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) in those regions, home to some of the world’s most vibrant financial and technology centers.
Tabua is a new transpacific subsea cable connecting the U.S. to Australia and Fiji. Part of Google’s South Pacific Connect initiative, Tabua consists of 16 fiber pairs on its trunk and branching segments. Each fiber pair is designed with a minimum capacity of approximately 17 Tb/s using current technology, for a total system capacity of 272 Tb/s.
With Ciena’s GeoMesh Extreme solution, which includes the Waveserver compact interconnect platform powered by WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) as well as the 6500 Reconfigurable Line System (RLS), TPN is building a reliable network between Southeast Asia and the U.S. Ciena’s open architecture approach also supports spectrum sharing and fluid scalability, enabling TPN to seamlessly expand its network to address continued growth in bandwidth demand. Ciena’s professional services team will provide installation and support.