The Telephone Instrument

Modes of Transmission




Fiber-optic cables

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
© Joanne Harris and Daniel Bubnich/

In the early 1980s a more efficient mode of transmission emerged with the potential to rival both satellite and microwave links: optical fibers. Optical fibers use light as the transmitting medium rather than radio waves. Since light has a much higher frequency—about 100 THz (100 trillion hertz)—many more voice or data channels can be transmitted over a single light-wave link. Theoretically, one fiber-optic cable could carry hundreds of millions of telephone conversations—thousands of times…

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Cellular telephones

Historical Development