§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Industry what use has been made to date of optical fibres in the United Kingdom; and whether he envisages copper wire ultimately being replaced by the new technology.
§ Mr. MacGregorOptical fibres are used in the United Kingdom in telecommunications, process plant, control systems and in medical instruments. Copper wire will be replaced where freedom from electrical interference and wider bandwidths are required. However, I do not envisage that there will be complete replacement in the foreseeable future.