TIME dotCom Taps Ciena to Offer 1 Tb/S Data Transmission Across the Pacific

Key Takeaways

• TIME deploys Ciena's 1 Tb/s coherent optics on FASTER cable
• Single‑carrier solution reaches 1.6 Tb/s capacity, industry first
• Enhances trans‑pacific bandwidth for AI and cloud services
• Increases traffic capacity without extra power or space
• Positions TIME as key gateway for ASEAN‑US connectivity

Summary

TIME dotCom Berhad has integrated Ciena’s latest coherent optical technology into the 9,000‑km FASTER submarine cable, enabling a single‑carrier wavelength capacity of 1 Tb/s and an industry‑first 1.6 Tb/s solution. The upgrade comes as global bandwidth demand has more than tripled since 2020, reaching roughly 6.4 Pb/s in 2024. By leveraging silicon‑based photonics, the deployment adds significant capacity without expanding power or space requirements. This positions TIME as a critical trans‑pacific gateway for AI‑driven cloud services across the Asia‑Pacific region.

Pulse Analysis

Submarine cable systems form the backbone of global data traffic, and the Pacific corridor is a high‑value route for enterprises linking North America with the fast‑growing Asia‑Pacific market. As bandwidth consumption surged to 6.4 petabits per second in 2024, operators like TIME dotCom are compelled to upgrade legacy infrastructure. By tapping Ciena’s coherent optical platform on the FASTER cable, TIME can push a single wavelength to 1 terabit per second, dramatically expanding the pipe without laying new fibers.

Ciena’s solution relies on silicon‑photonic chips that combine high‑speed modulation with low‑power consumption, delivering a record‑breaking 1.6 terabits per second on a single carrier. This efficiency gains are critical for submarine environments where space and power are at a premium. The technology also offers flexible bandwidth scaling, allowing operators to add capacity on demand while preserving existing operational practices. Such advancements reduce the cost per gigabit and improve network resilience, essential for supporting latency‑sensitive AI inference and massive cloud workloads.

For businesses, the upgraded capacity translates into faster, more reliable connections for data‑intensive applications, from AI model training to real‑time analytics. TIME’s enhanced trans‑pacific link strengthens its position as a preferred carrier for multinational firms seeking seamless connectivity between ASEAN economies and the United States. The move also signals a broader industry shift toward silicon‑based coherent optics as the standard for next‑generation submarine networks, setting the stage for further capacity expansions as digital transformation accelerates worldwide.