Fiber Optics Communication: The State of Technology and its Practice; Systems View

Fiber Optic (Lightwave) technology is being widely deployed throughout the United States, having become the technology of choice for high-capacity long haul, metropolitan inter-office, and subscriber loop feeder applications. The most extensive use of lightguide cable thus far has been in long haul, with several inter-exchange carriers (IECs) in the process of installing nation-wide networks. The AT&T communications network, for example, will already have over 10,000 route-miles of lightguide in service by the end of 1986. It is anticipated that by 1988 IECs will have generally achieved near-term goals for cable installation, and further needs for capacity enhancement will largely be met by upgrade on existing cable, using higher bit rates and/or wavelength division multiplexing (WDM).