Significant Event of 1977

Significant Event of 1977

Though many events took place throughout the history of telecommunications, one of the most developed in the industry was the creation and use of fiber optics. The implementation of this remarkable system helped to improve the speed of data and also contributed to clearer voice communication when talking over the phone lines. It has also contributed to a newer way of transmitting information and has many advantages over analog lines, which tend to be slower in the transmission of data and clarity of voice.

History

There are many questions that arise as to who actually invented fiber optics. To be quite honest, it is not contributed to just one person, but three people. Although its history can be dated as far back as the 1800s with John Tyndell and Alexander Bell, the three people mainly responsible are Robert Maurer, Donald Keck, and Peter Schultz. In the summer of 1970, one team of researchers began experimenting with fused silica, a material capable of extreme purity with a high melting point and a low refractive index. Corning Glass researchers Robert Maurer, Donald Keck, and Peter Schultz invented fiber-optic wire or "optical waveguide fibers" (patent no. 3,711,262), which was capable of carrying 65,000 times more information than copper wire, through which information carried by a pattern of light waves could be decoded at a destination even a thousand miles away (Alwayn, 2004). This amazing discovery changed the way voice and data would be submitted in the future. In 1977, AT&T designed and operated the world's first commercial fiber optic system.

Definition and Advantages

Fiber optic technology is the science or technology of light transmission through very fine, flexible glass or plastic fiber. Fiber optic (or "optical fiber") refers to the medium and the technology associated with the transmission of information as light impulses along a glass or plastic wire or fiber. Fiber optic wire carries much more information than conventional copper wire and is far less subject to electromagnetic interference. Most telephone company long-distance lines are now fiber optic. Transmission on fiber optic wire requires repeating at distance intervals. The glass fiber requires more protection within an outer cable than copper. Unlike analog lines, fiber optic lines have many advantages, but also can have some disadvantages.

Advantages:

1) Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) - Because optical fiber transmits light rather than electrons, it neither radiates EM (electromagnetic) fields nor is it susceptible to any EM fields surrounding it. This is important in a number of applications, including industrial control, where cables run along factory floors in proximity to electrically noisy machinery. The optical medium permits the control signals to be carried error-free through the electrically noisy environment. Telecommunications equipment manufacturers use optical fiber because it eliminates cross talk between the telecommunication lines. Financial institutions and gaming equipment manufacturers require data security. Tapping into a fiber cable without being detected is extremely difficult.

2) High Bandwidth - Optical fiber has a relatively high bandwidth in comparison to other transmission