Fiber Optics (Civ4)/Civilopedia

Fiber optics is the technology of creating fibers that transmit light. Fiber optic cables are used to transmit information - computer data, telephone signals, cable television, and so forth. They have many advantages over traditional wire cables: fiber optic cables are lighter than wire cables, they can carry huge amounts of data and transmit that data faster than wire, and they don't lose signal over distance. In short, fiber optics make a nation's information network far more efficient.
Fiber optics have other interesting uses, as well. They can be used to make extremely small cameras, such as endoscopes which allow physicians to see precisely what's going on inside a patient's body without requiring surgery. Law enforcement agencies find such cameras extremely useful as well, particularly in hostage situations. And they can be used to make decorative jewelry, sculptures, and Christmas trees.
Fiber optics were first conceived in the 1960s. The first useful cable was created in 1970, and the first trans-Atlantic fiber optic cable was laid in 1988. They are now in common use the world over, and many modern cities have begun to replace their existing wire cables with the new optical cables.