Corning sees slow growth in fiber sales

The fiber business is undergoing sluggish growth because of restructuring by the telephone companies, according to an analysis by Corning Incorporated (Corning, NY) given at OFC `95 (San Diego, CA). Dale Niebur, product manager for single-mode fiber at Corning, remarked, "Clients want more from fiber, including low costs." To maintain competitiveness, Corning has focused on developing new fiber, new coatings, and passive components. Amplified long-haul fiberoptic systems, higher bit rates, optical-fiber amplifiers, and wavelength-division-multiplexing technologies have provided a stimulus for the development of new types of fiber, such as the company`s SMF-LS fiber for long-distance, nonrepeatered-submarine, metropolitan-network, and cable-TV applications. A sixth-generation fiber coating has been developed that provides better resistance to mechanical and chemical degradation--one of the most successful product lines, according to Niebur.