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The development of 100 Gb/s transponder technology is progressing rapidly to meet the needs of next-generation optical/IP carrier networks. Video-driven IP traffic growth continues together with the need for ever higher-speed ports on IP routers, Ethernet switches, and OTN cross-connects, thus driving the requirements for cost-effective client and line side 100 Gb/s transponders. For a short time to market, 100 Gb/s transponders should be deployable using 10 Gb/s link-engineering rules over existing fiber and DWDM infrastructure. In this article we describe the upgrade of an installed 10 Gb/s field system to 100 Gb/s using a real-time single-carrier coherent 100G polarization multiplexed quadrature phase shift keyed (PM-QPSK) channel. Performance sufficient for error-free operation after forward error correction was achieved over installed 900 km and 1800 km links, proving the viability of 100 Gb/s upgrades to most installed systems. Excellent tolerance to fiber polarization mode dispersion and narrowband optical filtering demonstrates the applicability of this technology over the majority of installed fiber plant and through existing 50 GHz reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]