Michael Reeve, the British Telecom engineer responsible for the development of the Blown Fibre method of laying optical fibres, has been awarded the Martlesham Medal for his work: Blown Fibre is the system described in detail in CI No 1,008 by which optical fibres are blown into place down a pre-installed microduct on a cushion of air; the system is suitable for installation inside buildings of up to 10,000 terminals, as the fibre can travel quite long distances, negotiating corners and falls; it also has the benefit of flexibility, since fibre can be blown in and out of the network according to user needs; British Telecom is currently supplying Blown Fibre to a few customers in the petrochemical and financial sectors, and expects it to be available commercially later this year.
