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From: johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us (John R. Levine)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Transoceanic Cables
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Date: 21 Nov 90 00:01:17 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 840, Message 5 of 12


In article <68863@bu.edu.bu.edu> you write:

>Recent articles have referred to the TAT-8 transatlantic cable, and
>the TAT-9 cable under construction.  Do these numbers imply that there
>are exactly eight transatlantic cables, or possibly fewer if some
>older ones have been retired?

That is indeed the case.  TAT-1 was only laid in 1956.  Transatlantic
telephone service started in 1927, but until 1956 used SSB radio.  The
first few cables have certainly been retired.  The early cables
carried a few dozen voice circuits, while TAT-8 has 40,000 and TAT-9,
to be placed in service next year (and which I observed under
construction at its western terminus last month) 80,000.

Regards,

John Levine, johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us, {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl