Azea Networks

About Azea Networks

Azea Networks, founded in 2001 by Scott White and Dr. Stuart Barnes, specialized in optical networking software solutions with a specific focus on enhancing the capacity of existing submarine cable systems. The company was established in London, United Kingdom, to address the growing demand for bandwidth on regional and trunk undersea routes. Dr. Barnes, who served as CTO, brought extensive technical expertise in fibre optics and transmission equipment, having previously founded Ilotron and held senior positions at companies like Atlas Venture and Alcatel Recherche. Scott White acted as the company's CEO.

The firm's core business was centered on providing a cost-effective alternative to laying new, expensive submarine cables. Azea developed Submarine Line Terminating Equipment (SLTE) that could upgrade the capacity of existing 'wet plant' infrastructure, which uses optical amplifiers, without taking it offline. This technology was designed to increase the data rate of these networks significantly; for instance, trials with Cable & Wireless demonstrated a potential 16-fold capacity increase from 2.5 Gbit/s to 40 Gbit/s. By using advanced modulation techniques and software-configurable DWDM systems, Azea could unlock substantial bandwidth on legacy fiber networks, thereby extending their economic life. Their primary clients were large telecommunications carriers and operators of submarine cable networks.

Azea Networks successfully secured a $20 million investment in 2007 to enhance its financial credibility for dealing with major global carriers. A significant milestone was the successful upgrade of the Southern Cross Cable Network in 2006. The company's trajectory culminated in its acquisition by Xtera Communications on November 29, 2007. The acquisition was a strategic move for Xtera to expand its product portfolio from the unrepeatered subsea market into the repeatered applications market where Azea had specialized expertise.