For a month now a red construction boat has appeared between the waters of Taiwan and Penghu. On all sides of this boat there are four to five tugboats offering it support.

The rumbling noise of the engines goes on 24 hours a day as divers are busy at work. Naturally, this sight has captured the attention of the local fishermen of Penghu, but they can't see what's actually taking place since all the work is going on the ocean floor.

Like an ox ploughing a trench in the ground a workboat digs a path through the seabed in which the cable will be placed. The cable will be buried in the trench which is approximately fifty centimeters in depth. This black cable, only five centimeters in diameter, is small, yet its capability is rather astonishing.

Have you ever seen a friend place a call to Penghu? You'll notice that they often have to raise their voices to a near scream in order to overcome the poor connection.

Over the past several years' tourism to Penghu has increased dramatically and the need to communicate with Taiwan has likewise increased. In view of this, the former cables which were in use are no longer suitable to fulfill the present needs.

In order to update and improve the quality of communications the Directorate General of Telecommunications decided to replace the underwater cable between Taiwan and Penghu with an optical cable as part of the Telecommunication Modernization Project, one of the Fourteen Major Construction Projects undertaken by the government.

Inside this black cable there are eight optic fibers, each thinner than a strand of hair, yet their functional capabilities surpass those of the original copper cable, including any possible increase in communication capabilities for the next twenty years.

At this time, since the R.O.C. does not yet possess the technology to produce the jacket protecting underwater optical cables from the pressure of the seabed and waves, as well as preventing underwater animals from eating away at the cable, the Directorate General of Telecommunications has commissioned the U.S. company AT & T to undertake the project and share in technology.

Chiu Wu-Jhy, Chief of System Technology Laboratory at the Ministry of Communications, has proposed the following blueprint for us: after the completion of a centralized system on Taiwan has been installed, the next task is to bring this optical fiber circuit to the household. Then the customer need only have a telephone and a computer terminal installed in his home to enjoy cable television with steady, clear reception, rapid telecommunication, and information services. If such a computerized network were to be set up, not only can it be used in the home and office, but it can also carry out household duties while you are away from home.

Perhaps the fishermen can't imagine this future spectacle, but "a scholar who doesn't leave his home can still handle affairs of the world." The saying is really the dream of scientists for the 21st century, and the optical cable is making this wonderful dream ever so real.

[Picture Caption]

The invention of lasers and optical fibers has created another revolution in the communications industry. (photo courtesy of the National Science Council)

Electric cables and circuits made of optical fibers can serve various functions. (photo courtesy of National Science Council)

Seen here is a thin optical fiber. After layers of jackets are added it will become an optical fiber cable.

The first step in manufacturing optical fiber: burning a perform fabrication.

Optical cables can rapidly transmit information on a large-scale basis. (photo by Vincent Cheng)