Optical Fibre History
How the fibre communications revolution began

34Mbit System Block Diagram

Block diagram of 34 Mbit/s fibre transmission system

Block diagram of 34 Mbit/second fibre transmission system

Block diagram of 34 Mbit/second fibre transmission system. Sawn cavity GaAs laser, Multimode fibre, Avalanche photodiode.

2016: Half a Century of Optical Fibre Communications

2016 was the 50th anniversary of the publication that started it all.

Optical Fibre has transformed our world yet is now almost completely ignored.

The reasons?:

  • It is largely hidden (beneath our streets and oceans).
  • No surviving commercial organisation has an interest in promoting the STL history.
  • Few remember just how poor global communications used to be.

Useful Links

For anyone who enjoyed STL

STL Quarter Century Club

For the full story of optical communication see

"City of Light - The Story of Fiber Optics" by Jeff Hecht

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Designed by Richard Epworth.