GEC Plessey Telecommunications is implementing a 100Mbps Fibre Distributed Data Interface local area network within its System X public telephone exchange. The fibre optic highway will be used to interconnect major subsystems within System X, including the processor, signalling subsystems and switch. As well as enhancing flexibility of configuration and making it easier to introduce enhancements, the company sees the use of fibre optic local area network technology as a major step forward in reliability, greatly reducing radiations that might impair operation, and limiting the impact of outside threats such as lightning strikes. It has applied for patents on some aspects of the technology developed.
