IN BRIEF : New Transatlantic Cable Ready
The first fiber-optic communications cable linking the United States and Europe will go into service Wednesday, American Telephone & Telegraph Co. said today.
The cable, designated TAT-8, will carry voice, computer and video calls as pulses of laser-generated light over 3,160 miles of hair-thin glass circuits buried beneath the Atlantic Ocean. The fiber-optic technology will greatly expand the amount of traffic that can flow between Europe and North America, AT&T; said. TAT-8 will be able to handle 40,000 simultaneous conversations, compared to 8,500 calls for TAT-7, a copper cable built in 1983. Satellites also beam calls between North America and Europe.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
