Fiber-Optic Pacific Service to Begin: The first...

Fiber-Optic Pacific Service to Begin: The first fiber-optic communications cable across the Pacific Ocean will go into service today, creating a fully digital telecommunications network linking Japan, North America and Europe. American Telephone & Telegraph Co. said the $700-million cable will handle up to 40,000 calls simultaneously, more than six times the capacity of the copper cable and satellite circuits now crossing the Pacific. The cable links the California coast to Hawaii then splits, with separate branches running to Japan and Guam. The new cable joins fiber-optic systems already spanning the United States, Atlantic Ocean and parts of Europe.