We are an engineering team at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute 
(WHOI) and we are in the process of building an undersea optical 
network in the North Pacific. This is a first time project and will be 
used to deploy undersea research sensors.
	We are interested in optical networking devices comparable to 
those used in metro networks, and due to the unique constraints of the 
undersea environment we are particularly attentive to size, 
reliability, power consumption, and thermal output.
	As can be seen in the attached VISIO doc we are connecting 
around 32 'nodes' in a meshed architecture. Node separation varies from 
around 80 to 130 km, sometimes exceeding 230 km. Each node contains 
repeating equipment and drop/add equipment. We intend to use Gigabit 
Ethernet instead of SONET hence this is not a conventional 1+1 SONET 
ring- the mesh coupled with routing provides for failover.
	We need to know, using your products, if/how to repeat the 
signal for timing and attenuation concerns. Also we need to know at 
what distance your equipment requires amplification and which 
equipment, such as EFDAs that you supply for this purpose.
	Concerning specifications our immediate question is size and 
cost of parts. As we build our proposal key parameters will be power 
consumption, BTU output, MTBF (reliability). This can be seen in the 
attached EXCEL sheet.
	We would appreciate it if you could attempt, as far as possible, 
to inventory the required parts in a form such as the attached 
spreadsheet.
	Respond via phone or email if you have further questions.

Thank You,
Fritz Sonnichsen
fsonnichsen@whoi.edu
WHOI Applied Oceanographic Physics and Engineering
508-289-2871