ACE Consortium Selected Ciena for Cable Upgrade
The ACE consortium will use Ciena technology to modernize its 17,000 km subsea cable network.
Updated on Sept. 21, 2026 in Data Centers
The ACE consortium has chosen Ciena Services to upgrade its international submarine cable system. The project will enhance the network spanning Western Europe, West Africa, and South Africa.
Why it matters
Upgrading the infrastructure ensures higher capacity and efficiency across a vast network that links critical international regions. This technological boost allows the system to scale effectively without the need for complicated traffic migrations.
The project utilizes Ciena Services to deploy WaveLogic 6 Extreme technology across the 6500 Packet-Optical Platform. The system supports a 17,000 km route connecting 20 consortium members through 18 landing stations.
The players
ACE Consortium
The ACE consortium is a group of 20 members operating a 17,000 km submarine cable system linking Europe and Africa.
Ciena
Ciena is a networking systems, services, and software company that provides the WaveLogic technology and packet-optical platforms used in this infrastructure upgrade.
The details
Ciena Services will integrate WaveLogic 6 Extreme technology into the existing platform to modernize the ACE submarine network. This technical implementation allows for improved scaling capabilities across the connection points between Europe and Africa.
Timeline
September 21, 2026: The ACE consortium announced the selection of Ciena to lead the system upgrade.
The Tech Race
The adoption of Ciena WaveLogic 6 Extreme technology marks a shift toward higher-efficiency coherent optics in global subsea networks. This upgrade helps the ACE consortium maintain competitiveness against emerging high-bandwidth international cable systems.
For users and enterprises relying on connectivity between Europe and Africa, this upgrade facilitates more reliable data transmission and increased network capacity. The improvements allow for seamless scaling to meet growing bandwidth demands without service interruptions.
The takeaway
Modernizing subsea cables with advanced optical technology allows international consortia to extend the utility of existing infrastructure. Organizations can improve network performance significantly by integrating new hardware into established platforms.
Further reading
For more on the evolution of global network infrastructure, visit the Data Centers section.
