Abstract :
The characteristics of local telephone cables limit the performance of domestic communications. Replacement with fibre-optic cables for residential property has been deemed uneconomic, and there is no clear alternative to the 50 volts 600 ohm pair. However, changes in the metering of domestic services for water and gas provides scope for a high speed digital communication circuit on the pipe networks. The modern material for underground pipework is polyethylene, and the technique for laying sizes between 1" and 30" in long lengths is established. The inclusion of wires and strips of metallic conductors within the wall of the pipe during extrusion is practicable, and techniques are already established for the electrical welding of joints and junctions in the field, and these can be extended to cover such electrical circuits. Thus a path is available between each individual house and a kiosk at the end of the street where connections can easily be made to the fibre-optic trunk network of the telephone system
