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Fiber Optics Turn 60: Revolutionizing Global Communication

3/25/2026

Summary

Story summary

Fiber optics celebrate their 60th anniversary in 2026, transforming communication by enabling long-distance data transmission through hair-thin glass strands.
Modern fibers are made from ultrapure silica using chemical vapor deposition to minimize signal loss.
In the 1960s, physicist Ted Maiman and engineers George Hockham and Charles Kao showed that glass fibers could transmit light over long distances.
Today, fiber optics power global communications and applications including sensors and medical treatments.

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Story summary

Fiber optics celebrate their 60th anniversary in 2026, transforming communication by enabling long-distance data transmission through hair-thin glass strands.
Modern fibers are made from ultrapure silica using chemical vapor deposition to minimize signal loss.
In the 1960s, physicist Ted Maiman and engineers George Hockham and Charles Kao showed that glass fibers could transmit light over long distances.
Today, fiber optics power global communications and applications including sensors and medical treatments.