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EuroWire – July 2008
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New
developments
in fibre optics
I
n the introduction to the expanded 2004 edition of Jeff Hecht’s book City of Light: the
Story of Fibre Optics [Oxford University Press, 1999] he enthuses, “I’ve covered the
development of fibre optic communications for nearly a quarter of a century, and it’s
given me the rare thrill of watching a technology on a roll. I feel like a sports writer with
the good luck to cover a truly great team on its way to a championship.” However, the
1999 edition had ended on a wistful note. “The Last Mile: an Elusive Vision” cast an eye
back over 20 years of efforts to bring fibre optics to the home, starting with a Japanese
system called Hi-OVIS which began operation in 1978. “The idea retains its appeal,” noted
the historian of fibre optics. “But [it] has yet to be made practical.”
Now, of course, fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) is altogether practical. The number of homes
worldwide connected via end-to-end fibre steadily rises, as does the “take rate” — the
percentage of those who, offered the service, choose to subscribe. FTTH connections
posted another year of robust growth in 2007. The technology is leading the way into a
high-bandwidth future.
feature
EuroWire – July 2008