FEATURE
WHAT HAVE THE BRITISH EVER DONE FOR US? BILL BURNS AND STEWART ASH
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n September’s issue we told you about the British contri- by Canadian company Northern Telecom (Nortel) in 1991. (See Back Reflection Issue 79 November 2014). We now bution to the Telegraph & Telephone Eras of the subknow that Corfield was ahead of his time, but this acquisimarine cable industry, a period from 1850 up until 1986, tion is a strong indication of the direction of STC’s senior when STC Submarine Systems installed the last coaxial telephone system, connecting India and the United Arab management strategy at the beginning of the Optical Era. Converting analogue signals Emirates. At that time there into digital information is a were three other major supplifundamental part of optical fibre ers of submarine cable systems: transmission, and once again this Alcatel SubMarcom in France, was a British invention. In 1938, AT&T Submarine Networks in the technique of sampling anathe USA, and Japan Inc’s Fujitsu logue signals and converting them & NEC. (Fujitsu and NEC built into a digital code was conceived their systems using Ocean Cable and patented as Pulse Code ModCompany Ltd (OCC) cable and ulation (PCM) by Alec Harley never bid against each other). At Reeves (1902-71). However, the the end of the Telephone Era required circuitry was complex STC Submarine Systems was still and was not commercially viable the leading supplier, winning 50% until after the invention of the of the undirected supply contracts. George Hockham and Charles Kao Courtesy Alcatel Submarine Networks transistor in 1947. Reeves joined However, because of the developWestern Electric Ltd in 1923, at ments necessary to make optical its North Woolwich factory, becoming an STC employee in fibre transmission possible over submarine cables, these 1925, when ITT acquired the site. After the Second World four companies were effectively starting on equal terms. War, Reeves went to work for STC’s research division, As a precursor to the Optical Era, the term ‘ConverStandard Telephone Laboratories (STL), initially at Enfield gence’ was, once again, made a buzz word by the chairman of STC plc, Sir Kenneth Corfield (1924-2016). In 1984, he in North London and then at Harlow. Of course, the fundamental requirement of optical fibre masterminded a takeover of UK computer company ICL. communication is to be able to transmit optical signals His rationale for this move was that technologies were though glass fibres, and here again it was the British bound to converge, and in the future individuals would who solved the problem. Two young research engineers, have one device to provide computer, telephone and teleCharles Kao Kuen (1933-2018) and George Alfred Hockvision services. Instead of lauding Corfield as a visionary, ham (1938-2013), who were working for Alec Reeves at which in hindsight he undoubtedly was, the markets considered his strategy ridiculous and castigated him. The share STL Harlow, developed the idea that information could be transmitted not as radio waves, or by electric currents, price plummeted, the company went into decline, Corfield but in beams of laser light carried down thin fibres of was eventually forced out, and STC was finally taken over
72 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE