Ultra-Flexible Fiber Optics on the Way

[HardOCP News]

The president of Corning Inc. says that the company has developed a new fiber optic cable that is 100 times more bendable that current standard fiber.

The world's largest maker of optical fiber said Monday it has developed a new fiber that is at least 100 times more bendable than standard fiber, clearing a major hurdle for telecommunications carriers drawing fiber into homes.

 

[UrielDagda]

Good, maybe this will put a crimp into Comcast's plan to keep their speed slow and cost high for cetain areas when everybody can get fiber optic installed as easily as a phone line.

 

[ssratt]

"Wrapped around a pen and still works" That's cool, this means laying fiber is going to be a piece of cake from now on.
Of course that depends on what the premium is, it might be so expensive that only cable/telecommunication companies could afford it.

Also means lighting models will be easier as well

 

[HecHacker1]

"Wrapped around a pen and still works" That's cool, this means laying fiber is going to be a piece of cake from now on.
Of course that depends on what the premium is, it might be so expensive that only cable/telecommunication companies could afford it.

Also means lighting models will be easier as well

Actually, I believe the cost of the actual fiber optic is very cheap. Its essentially just purified glass. The trick is in mass producing this fiber optic cable.

Copper is actually quite expensive (and a limited resource), heavy, requires more maintenance, and requires repeaters over long distances.

Hopefully this company, or eventually others (probably the Chinese will reverse engineer this cable since they don't care about patent laws) will get this manufacturing process into the open.