The SL Undersea Lightwave System

The SL Undersea Lightwave System is a large capacity digital fiber-optic transmission system capable of spanning the world's largest oceans and seas. The system is now being manufactured for use in telecommunications systems planned for the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In this paper we will discuss how the risks associated with using relatively new lightwave technology were minimized to design a digital undersea communication system which excels in reliability, availability, and performance.