Fiber to the World: WE'VE COME A LONG WAY SINCE THE FIRST TRANS-ATLANTIC CABLE

摘要

When prof. Samuel B. Morse tapped out that first coded message on the key of the new telegraph machine, no one could have predicted where it would take us. Now, designers are choosing optical fiber cable more and more because it provides a cost-effective means of delivering massive bandwidth with greater network reliability and less downtime. Here are some of the latest developments in fiber optics technology at home and across the world. While researching this article, my local cable company completed its conversion from coax to optical fiber. There are more than 250 channels of video and music programming, including both analog and digital formats. Plus, I have access to 30 channels of pay-per-view movies and four different sports networks. In addition, there are 45 channels of commercial-free music, each a different genre. Subscribers also can access the Internet via the new fiber system, and "enjoy downloads 50 times faster than dial-up service."