FLAG Launches 400GbE and 800GbE on Echo

Publication Staff, Ciena
September 21, 2026

FLAG is deploying Ciena's WaveLogic 6 Extreme technology on its dedicated fiber pair in the ECHO submarine cable system, preparing the route to support new 400GbE and 800GbE services. The upgrade combines Ciena's Waveserver platform and RLS photonic line system with WL6e coherent optics rated at 1.6 Tb/s. Ciena said the work covers FLAG's fiber pair of more than 16,000 kilometers across the trans-Pacific route connecting Singapore, Guam and California.

The project is designed to increase the scale and efficiency of a fiber asset that FLAG already controls rather than add another wet plant. WaveLogic 6 Extreme provides the coherent transmission layer, while the RLS system supports optical transport along the route. FLAG expects the combination to let it introduce 400GbE and 800GbE client services for hyperscalers, carriers, cloud providers and enterprises moving traffic between Asia and North America. The company described ECHO as one of a limited number of direct Singapore-to-United States cable routes.

The commercial significance extends beyond the new service speeds. Higher-capacity Ethernet services can help FLAG use its dedicated pair more efficiently as AI, cloud and enterprise demand grows, while ECHO adds another trans-Pacific path to the operator's wider network. Ciena said the route complements FLAG's WaveLogic 6 Extreme-powered India Asia Express network, creating a more integrated path among India, South Asia, Southeast Asia and North America. FLAG says its broader infrastructure serves major markets across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, India and Asia. That integration gives network buyers a single supplier path across several regional segments while adding another high-capacity option between major digital hubs.

Ciena's September 21 announcement confirms that deployment is underway, but it does not provide a commercial launch date for the 400GbE and 800GbE offerings. The current milestone is therefore the technology deployment and service plan on FLAG's ECHO fiber pair, not a completed service activation. The next confirmed operational milestone will require FLAG or Ciena to report that the optical upgrade has been commissioned or that the new Ethernet services are commercially available.

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