This interesting press release came through yesterday regarding BT's 21st Century Network.
"When you need to develop new technology you could invest in serious laboratory research work, involve Britain's greatest academic minds, or go down to your local and think about it there. It worked for Morse, who was able to solve the most complicated case over a pint or two, and on this occasion it worked for BT too when its researchers realised that optical fibres could run through a plastic-tubing system like the one that carries beer through pubs.
"BT's 21st century network (21CN) transformation programme took another significant step with this beer-related realisation. The delivery of optical-fibre cables, which can carry content such as video and fast data services, to individual homes and businesses is an important part of the 21 CN initiative.
"However, optical fibre works best when it has fewest joints. BT put some of its best minds on the challenge of running it to thousands of individual homes, with as few joints as possible. The solution was the adoption of a technique used in public houses to join beer pipes. It means the fibres can be taken directly to where they need to be without the need to splice them together."
Now, I'm not sure it should take a genius to work out that running fibre optic cables through plastic pipes might be a good idea. But then I don't work for a telecoms firm.
What made me really think, though, was whether this marked a watershed in the acceptance of new technologies: until now I had always thought big companies like BT frowned upon beer-to-beer networking.
Arf.
