The group identified Qtera, a shop that can send an optical signal 3, 200 kilometers without amplification--40 times the distance Nortel could muster.

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The successful bidder, GoalControl, believes that one of its strengths is the fact that neither the ball nor goal structure need to be changed for the system to work -- with referees receiving a vibration and optical signal in their watches to inform them of a successful score.

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The new technology places glass optical fibers, which contain a laser diode that sends a signal beam into the optical, into the flutes.

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Putting an electronic switch at the junction between two optical fibre cables slows the signal down.

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Unlike electronic switches, micro-mirror optical switches do not slow the signal down.

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But instead of producing an electrical signal when it is tickled, the optical nose sneezes light.

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And they may also allow the development of purely optical switches, which would eliminate the need to convert a light signal into an electronic one before such switching can be accomplished.

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Rather, TRW is working with Nortel Networks to build signal-splitting chip sets fast enough to eliminate bottlenecks on the next generation of long-distance optical telecom networks.

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