Optical Fibre History
How the fibre communications revolution began

Light-Line, the Historic Film from 1977

Describing the Hitchin-Stevenage field demonstration system

Featuring a cast of thousands (mostly running deer)

Original film “organised” by David Robertson, narrated by Paul Vaughan and directed by David Woollcombe

Watch it on YouTube

Latest: Hitchin celebrates 40 Years

A few photos of the team who created Light-Line
Courtesy of David Robertson

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.