Atlanta Fiber System Experiment: Preform Fabrication and Fiber Drawing by Western Electric Product Engineering Control Center

In 1974, the acquisition of a fiber-optics development laboratory was started by the Western Electric Product Engineering Control Center in Atlanta. This facility was intended to provide the experience needed by Western Electric to establish manufacturing methods and machinery in the new field of fabricating low-loss optical fibers. The first preform fabrication facility and its companion tube-cleaning installation became operational in April 1975. Operation of the fiber-drawing machine started in August 1975, and fiber delivery to Bell Laboratories commenced in September. All fibers were characterized by Bell Laboratories in Atlanta and subsequently used in their ribbons and cables. The delivery of fibers for the Atlanta Fiber System Experiment was completed in November 1975.