Fiber-Optics Expansion

Lucent Technologies Inc. said it plans to spend $30 million to hire at least 500 people and quadruple production of parts used in fiber-optic gear. The expansion will bring some production on line next month and be completed this year. Lucent is building a third plant at its optoelectronics campus in Breinigsville, Pa., and spending $6 million to renovate another in Reading. Lucent is moving quickly to capture more of the booming market for parts used in optical telecommunications equipment amid stiff competition from JDS Uniphase Corp. and Corning Inc. Lucent fell 19 cents to $53.44 on the New York Stock Exchange.