covert@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU@covert.DEC.com (02/07/87)
[Translation of Telebox posting; original attached -- /john] On 20 November 1986 the first international fiber-optic undersea cable between Broadstairs and Ostende was officially dedicated. "UK-Belgium No. 5" was laid the beginning of May and connects the British island and the European mainland via the classic stretch of the English Channel. The communications capacity of the 122 km (74 mile) connection is about three times as large as for previous undersea cables using copper coax technology: On three fiber-optic pairs a capacity is available for use in voice, telex, and data communications approximately equivalent to 12,000 telephone channels. The system is also designed to carry video conferences and television images. The full cost of the undersea cable installation, about $20 Million, is being carried 50% by British Telecom, 21% by the German Post Office, and just under 15% each by the communications agencies of Belgium and the Netherlands. For protection against mechanical damage the cable was buried in the ocean floor with a gigantic "Cable Plow" for most of the stretch. There are three repeaters built into the cable for amplification of the light impulses. "UK - Belgium No. 5" is both precursor and extension for the fiber-optic undersea cable installation TAT-8, planned for 1988, which will connect Europe and North America with each other. Betreff: Erstes Glasfaser-Seekabel durch den Drmelkanal. Von: TBY002 Ausgehdngt: Die 3-Feb-87 12:59 Sys 15 Offiziel eingeweiht wurde am 29.10.1986 zwischen Broadstairs und Ostende die erste internationale Glasfaser-Seekabelanlage. "UK - Belgien Nr.5" wurde Anfang Mai verlegt und verbindet die britische Insel und das europdische Festland auf der klassischen Strecke durch den Drmelkanal. Die \bertragungskapazitdt der 122 Kilometer langen Verbindung ist etwa dreimal so gro_ wie bei den grv_ten bisherigen Seekabeln in Kupferkoaxialtechnik: auf drei Glasfaserpaaren steht f|r die Sprach-, Text- und Datenkommunikation eine Kapazitdt zur Verf|gung, die etwa 12000 Fernsprechkandlen entspricht. Das System eignet sich auch f|r die \bertragung von Videokonferenzen und Fernsehbildern. Die Gesamtkosten der Seekabelanlage von etwa 40 Millionen DM werden gemeinsam getragen von British Telecom mit 50 Prozent, der Deutschen Bundespost mit 21 Prozent und den Fernmeldeverwaltungen Belgiens und der Niederlande mit je knapp 15 Prozent. Zum Schutz gegen mechanische Beschddigungen wurde das Kabel mit einem riesigen "Kabelpflug" auf dem grv_ten Abschnitt der Strecke in den Meeresboden eingegraben. In das Kabel sind drei "REPEATER" zur Verstdrkung der Lichtimpulse eingebaut. "UK - Belgien Nr. 5" ist sowohl Vorldufer als auch Verldngerung der f|r 1988 geplanten Glasfaser-Seekabelanlage TAT 8, die Europa und Nordamerika miteinander verbinden wird. Zimmer
sundar@EDDIE.MIT.EDU@cwruecmp.UUCP (02/21/87)
Path: cwruecmp!sundar From: sundar@cwruecmp.UUCP (Sundar Iyengar) Newsgroups: mod.telecom Subject: Re: First fiber-optic undersea cable laid across the English Channel Message-ID: <1888@cwruecmp.UUCP> Date: 21 Feb 87 18:18:38 GMT References: <8702070322.AA00268@decwrl.dec.com> Reply-To: sundar@cwruecmp.UUCP (Sundar Iyengar) Organization: CWRU Dept. of Computer Engineering, Cleveland, Ohio Lines: 34 In article <8702070322.AA00268@decwrl.dec.com> covert@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU@covert.DEC.com (John R. Covert) writes: >On 20 November 1986 the first international fiber-optic undersea cable >between Broadstairs and Ostende was officially dedicated. "UK-Belgium >No. 5" was laid the beginning of May and connects the British island >and the European mainland via the classic stretch of the English Channel. > > .... For protection against mechanical damage the cable >was buried in the ocean floor with a gigantic "Cable Plow" for most of >the stretch. > .... for the fiber-optic undersea cable installation TAT-8, >planned for 1988, which will connect Europe and North America with >each other. I hope this is a right group to ask these questions. They are about installing trans-atlantic and trans-pacific underwater cable systems. When the cable is run across the atlantic, how is the volcanically active mid-atlantic ridge system is bypassed? With the continents moving away from each other at about 2cm per year, a lot of slack must be allowed on the cable to account for possible stretching. Is this really a problem? How about the deep ocean trenches in the pacific that might suck the cable in? Related question: What is the average life time of underwater cable system? Thanks, sundar r. iyengar arpa: sundar%case.csnet 531, crawford hall csnet: sundar@case case western reserve university uucp: decvax!cwruecmp!sundar cleveland, oh 44106