Network Configuration

Overview

The Southern Cross Network consists of two separate cables laid over diverse paths for security. The network is configured as three separate self-healing rings, a North Ring, South Ring and North-South Ring. Contrary to popular understanding, there is no cross over protection in Hawaii between the North and South Rings, but a strategy has been developed to enable this to be achieved for restoration purposes, initially via manual patching and in the future by optical switching under operator command (for fail-safe security).

Configuration

The following schematic shows the configuration of the Southern Cross Network:

Statistics

Some interesting facts about the Southern Cross Network:

Traffic Routing

Routing Principles:

To ensure users experience minimum transmission time delays Southern Cross policy is to ensure that the Main (Working) Path on protected capacity is routed via the shortest available path, with the longer path becoming the Protection Path.

Unprotected capacity will be routed where ever possible via the shortest available path unless there are requests from Capacity Users requesting specific routing requirements.

Segment Lengths & Transmission Delays:

Segment	From	To	Segment Type	Distance (Km)	Delay (ms)
A	Alexandria (AU)	Whenuapai (NZ)	Submarine	2,276	11.38
B	Takapuna (NZ)	Whenuapai (NZ)	Terrestrial	15	0.08
C	Spencer Beach (HW)	Takapuna (NZ)	Submarine	8,002	40.01
D	Morro Bay (US)	Spencer Beach (HW)	Submarine	4,135	20.68
E	Hillsboro (US)	Morro Bay (US)	Submarine	1,593	7.97
E1	Morro Bay (US)	San Jose (US)	Terrestrial	349	1.75
E2	Hillsboro (US)	San Jose (US)	Terrestrial	1,601	8.00
F1	Kahe Point (HW)	Nedonna (US)**	Submarine	4,538	22.71
F2 or F3##	Hillsboro (US)	Nedonna (US)**	Terrestrial	133	0.67
G1	Kahe Point (HW)	Suva (FJ)	Submarine	5,828	29.14
G2	Brookvale (AU)	Suva (FJ)	Submarine	3.543	17.72
H	Alexandria (AU)	Brookvale (AU)	Terrestrial	31	0.16
I	Kahe Point (HW)	Spencer Beach (HW)	Submarine	458	2.29

## Note: Segments F2 & F3 are on the same terrestrial cable.

** Note: Nedonna is not an Access Point.

The time delays shown in the table above are one way time delays. They have been calculated using the theoretical figure of 5ms/Km as the speed of light through fibre cable. Actual measurements made over the longest paths of the cable showed that the values were within 1 m/s of the calculated values, therefore the tables on the following pages showing shortest and longest delays can be used to determine actual delays over any path. Time delays caused by the equipment have been disregarded in these calculations due to their very small value compared to the segment delays.

Nedonna cable station contains only the WDM Submarine Line Terminal Equipment and does not provide network access.