Transoceanic Transmission Systems Using Adaptive Multirate FECs

We study, for the first time, the impact of applying multiple forward error correction codes (FEC) with rates adapted to channel performance fluctuations of a wavelength-division-multiplexed C+L-band PDM-16QAM transmission system over transoceanic distances, with EDFA-only amplification. The extra capacity, due to adaptive multirate FEC, as a function of system reach is quantified, both with and without digital postcompensation of nonlinearity.