Synopsis
The modern digitalized world is tied together through glass fibre cables. Although overall stable, damages to sea cables in certain regions can still arrest whole economies. Billions of dollars depend on new technological developments in glass fibre cable technology. Science has come a long way since the “Great Eastern”, the largest ship of its era, installed the first sea cable in 1866. In this documentary, current visions and developments in glass fibre technology are interwoven with a re-telling of the first sea cable installation, which Nobel prize winner Stefan Zweig termed a “magic moment in human history”. We will accompany a sea cable installation, visit leading academic and corporate research institutions, and give voice to some of the key figures in this field.
