How many cores are in the optical fiber cable of the East Africa data center

The EASSy submarine cable system uses two fiber pairs, with each fiber typically containing a single core, resulting in a total of four cores for bidirectional communication.

Fiber Configuration

The EASSy cable system spans 10,000 km along the east coast of Africa and connects multiple countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa . It is designed with two fiber pairs, meaning there are two fibers for transmitting data in one direction and two fibers for the opposite direction. Each fiber in submarine systems is generally single-mode, optimized for long-distance, high-bandwidth transmission . In single-mode fibers, each fiber contains one optical core, which carries the light signal.

Core Count and Redundancy

• Fiber pairs: 2
• Fibers per pair: 2 (one for each direction)
• Cores per fiber: 1 (single-mode)
• Total cores: 4 This configuration allows full-duplex communication, with one fiber in each pair transmitting data in one direction and the other fiber receiving data in the opposite direction. Submarine cables often include additional spare fibers for redundancy, but the primary operational cores for the EASSy system are four .

Additional Considerations

• The EASSy system has undergone multiple upgrades, increasing its capacity from 68×10 Gbps to over 36 Tbps using advanced DWDM technology .
• While the number of cores per fiber remains one, the system achieves higher capacity through wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM), allowing multiple data channels to share the same fiber core.
• For data centers connected to EASSy, the fiber infrastructure may include additional patching and distribution cables, often with 12, 24, or 48 cores, to support internal routing and redundancy . In summary, the EASSy submarine cable uses two fiber pairs with one core per fiber, resulting in four primary cores for bidirectional communication, while internal data center cabling may use higher core-count cables for flexibility and future expansion.