Innovation
For almost 160 years, Corning Incorporated has operated within a culture of innovation that has positioned us as the world leader in specialty glass and ceramics. Again and again, we have worked closely with customers to understand their problems, explore possible solutions, and then bring those possibilities to life with breakthrough innovations that have literally changed the world. From Edison’s light bulb to the television picture tube to optical fiber and LCD glass, Corning’s contribution of keystone components that enable high technology systems is unmatched.
This legacy holds true within Corning’s Optical Fiber business as well. Relying on our exceptional inventive capacity, we developed the first low-loss fiber in 1970, and we have never looked back. For more than 40 years, we have led the industry in product and process innovations that set the standard for quality and performance. The world as we know it today simply would not exist without optical fiber.
Watch our At the Speed of Light video to learn more.
Discovery & Invention
Throughout Corning’s long history, we have invested significantly in research and development. This practice is in keeping with our fundamental identity as a pioneering company with a core competency for “inventive innovation” that leads to breakthrough discoveries that change the way the world lives, works, and plays. Our legacy as the inventor of optical fiber is a testament to this history.
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Manufacturing
“In the whole race to communicate with light, one of the most important things was the precision manufacturing of the optical fiber,” remarked Dr. Don Keck, one of three Corning scientists who invented the first low-loss optical fiber. From the very day in 1970 when they made their discovery until today, Corning has led the industry in manufacturing process innovations that continue to set the standard.
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Applications
Optical fiber serves as the core of connectivity for all of today’s telecommunications network applications. Even though the technology is now 40 years old, it is still astounding to think that a single hair-thin strand of ultrapure glass can carry many times more data than a traditional copper wire. This capacity has enabled the global explosion of broadband and all of the applications it offers.
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Future of Fiber
As an innovation that transformed the landscape of global communications, optical fiber has a future as bright as the waves of light it beams throughout the world. Due to its compatibility with other technologies, growing cost-effectiveness, and nearly unlimited bandwidth, optical fiber has the capacity to grow and adapt to future consumer demands for voice, data, and video capability. In other words, optical fiber is here to stay.
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