 
The introduction of optical fiber in communication trunk lines
has actually led to an increase in demand for copper, as communities
"get wired." Copper continues to be the preferred carrier for
the last mile, or segment. Domestic subscriber lines, wide and
local area networks, personal computers, and other high-tech
hardware all require copper and copper alloys, especially for
connectors.
XDSL (Digital Subscriber Lines) technology allows the existing
copper infrastructure of ordinary telephone wires to also carry
high-speed data. For Internet users, xDSL technology means connecting
at 1.5 million bits per second instead of 56,000 bits per second
without the xDSL technology. |
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