Mitsubishi Rayon Co Ltd has developed a technique to mass-produce optical fibres in plastic rather than glass, the Nippon Keizai Shimbun reports. The new fibre has a diameter of 1mm, making it less susceptible to damage than glass fibres, which are typically 0.1mm in diameter, and will also cost a fifth as much to manufacture, the company claims. Capacity of the plastic cable is a respectable 3Gbps, or over 30 times the capacity of existing plastic fibres, and enough to carry 500 television channels, so it sounds as if it might be appropriate for taking fibre into the local loop. Sample ships of the new cable begin next month.
