From monopoly to competition: long-term research is vulnerable

Article Abstract:

Corporate restructuring in the last decade offers insight into the difference between research in government-regulated monopolies and in private companies internationally. At British Telecom, which was privatized in 1984, legal changes gave its R&D labs flexibility to respond to new technology and launch new projects, due to the necessity to gear R&D to business needs. British Telecom labs have doubled to 4,000 researchers and support staff. AT and T post-divestiture labs have many characteristics of pre-divestiture labs. Restructuring has meant all project directors stay in contact with the AT and T business units. Most Bell Labs employees, around 28,000, work on applied research and development. These technical people work on improvements to large systems that are expected to be commercial in around five years.

T, British Telecommunications PLC, Nippon Telephone and Telegraph Corp., Privatization (Business), Laboratories, Telecommunications, Reorganization, Privatization, BTY

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Light that acts like 'natural bits'

Article Abstract:

Long-haul fiber-optic communications and even optical switching could be revolutionized by ultrastable light pulses called solitons. Solitons do not spread in an optical fiber, even after traveling thousands of kilometers. They cancel out chromatic dispersion and the fiber's own nonlinearity, two properties that degrade long-distance transmission. An experiment by AT & T Bell Laboratories found that solitons remain stable to recurrent amplifications over 10,000 kilometers. Spatial solitons in planar waveguides have the potential of creating integrated all-optical switching circuits. Experiments continue.

Fiber optics, Switching, Enhancements, Optical Communication

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Electronics and the stars

Article Abstract:

Real-time electronic control, introduced in the 1970s, is necessary to operate the biggest astronomical telescopes. Electronically controlled, segmented mirrors have made it possible to build reflecting telescopes with 8- to 10-meter apertures. Support systems based on servo-controlled actuators make telescopes with superthin mirrors practical. Information on distortion control, remote-control observation and other topics is included.

Usage, Innovations, Equipment and supplies, Astronomy, Telescope, Telescopes, Electronics

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