The following historic note just appeared in the comp.dcom.telecom newsgroup, and seems like it might be interest to these optics and fiber optics groups also:
------------------------------------------------ [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: This is an item which appeared in TELECOM Digest V8 issue 202 on 12/16/88 (about 18 years ago) which I thought you might enjoy seeing again. PAT]
FIRST LASER PHONE CALL ZIPS ACROSS THE ATLANTIC! ISAAC ASIMOV DEDICATES TAT-8; MAKES FIRST CALL
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A shark-proof undersea cable began carrying laser beam phone calls across the Atlantic Ocean Wednesday as the first leg of a network designed to revolutionize service on three continents.
AT&T, British Telecom and France Telecom, the three principal owners of the cable asked well known author Isaac Asimov to dedicate the new cable and place the first call.
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[The rest of this detailed article is in the comp.dcom.telecom newsgroup or can be accessed at
by searching down for "TAT-8".]