The size of a hair and the size of an arm

Today’s communications are largely based on fibre optics. But how did we get here?

The first steps were taken in 1838, when William Fothergill Cooke and Charles Wehatstone’s laboratories in England were connected by an insulated copper cable. This system, considered the first terrestrial electrical cable, allowed telegraphic messages to be sent over short distances.

Twenty years later, in 1858, the first transatlantic submarine cable, also made of copper, was installed, connecting Ireland with Canada. Although it only worked for three weeks, it lais the foundations for communication between continents.

Since then, technology has taken a giant step forward. The big breakthrough came with the replacement of copper by fibre optics, a medium capable of transporting information through light. Fibre optics are extremely thin filaments – approximately the thickness of a human hair – made mainly of glass, although they can also be made from acrylic polymers in specific applications.

This almost invisible thread is used to construct the cables that enable global communications. Although we tend to imagine fibre optic cables as enormous structures, the truth is that they are not as thick as one might think: a complete cable, including all its coatings and protective layers, is approximately the size of a human arm. Not much more space is needed to ensure its strength and functionality.

Once we understand what fibre optics are and how a robust and relatively compact cable is constructed from an extremely thin filament, the next question arises: how are these cables installed under the sea? Before any laying takes place, the ocean floor is studied in detail to identify slopes, geological faults or risk areas. Specialised ships then deploy the cable slowly and in a controlled manner, allowing it to adapt to the topography of the ocean floor.

A fundamental part of fibre optics is located under the sea. Submarine fibre optic cables connect continents to each other and carry more than 95% of global data traffic. Every time we make an international video call or a visit website hosted on another continent, the information most likely travels through these cables.

What happens if an undersea cable breaks?

Although it is a rare event, breaks can occur. In that case, a specialised ship is sent to recover the damaged section, repair it by splicing it together, and return it to the seabed. These cables are designed to have a useful life of between 20 and 30 years. However, when they become obsolete, recycling them is complex and some of the material may be abandoned or underused in the marine environment.

FURIOUS project and fibre materials

Traditionally, fibres and their associated polymer layers are manufactured from fossil-based raw materials, which have an environmental impact due to extraction, production and end-of-life disposal.

In this context, the FURIOUS project at the Universiteit Maastricht focuses on developing biodegradable and bio-based fibre materials themselves, exploring ways to maintain optical and mechanical performance while reducing environmental impact.

Furan-based polymers are generally hydrophobic, but by reacting 2,5-FDCA with monomers containing heteroatoms (especially oxygen), FURIOUS explores how to create functional bio-based fibre materials with controlled degradation. The aim is to design fibres that perform their function during service life and then disappear in a controlled, environmentally friendly way.

From a copper cable that barely connected two laboratories to a global fibre optic network that supports the planet’s digital communication, technological progress has been marked by small advances that have opened up great possibilities. In this context, FURIOUS does not aim to replace the current infrastructure, but rather to lay the foundations for a new generation of fibre materials: bio-based, functional and designed with their end of life in mind.