News and Events

Corning Cable Systems LLC, part of Corning Incorporated’s (NYSE:GLW) Telecommunications segment, will debut Optical Cables by Corning to the European market at CeBIT 2013 in Hannover, Germany, March 5-9.

Optical Cables by Corning are designed to bring the benefits of optical fiber to the consumer market for the two fastest computer and peripheral connectivity protocols -- Thunderbolt™ and USB 3.0. The new cables extend the data transmission range past the length limits of copper-based cables. Optical Cables by Corning are approximately 50 percent smaller and up to 80 percent lighter than comparable copper cables, while also substantially increasing strength and flexibility.

Electronics are often delicate things, eliciting gasping dread when knocked off a table by an elbow or falling into a beer glass from between clumsy fingers. That's why it's refreshing to see a Macworld exhibitor that's willing to put their product through an old-school torture test to delight the passersby, as Corning was with its new optical cables.

Digital systems are notorious for bottlenecks. It’s no good having a blazing, overclocked PC and an internet connection like a firehose if the USB cable between them is like a straw. It’s even worse when the distance between PC and modem is more than a few feet away, so the cable can’t reach. With the aim of eliminating these bottlenecks, Corning Cable Systems LLC is unveiling its Optical Cable by Corning at CES in Las Vegas. These cables replace copper wires with fiber optics to produce cables up to 100 meters (328 ft) long, that are much more durable and achieve speeds of 10 gigabits per second, which is enough to load a full-length HD video in 30 seconds.

If you thought screens were where glass started and finished in gadgets, think again. Corning, the company behind Gorilla Glass, has also started making optical USB and Thunderbolt cables—and they're super, super long.

The cables are optical instead of your typical wired connection. There's no speed advantage, but because there's less signal attenuation in optical cables than in wire, they can be made extremely long. Corning's USB 3.0 cables will come in lengths of up to 100 feet. But its Thunderbolt cables will be up to 330 feet long.

Corning may be best known for the hardened Gorilla Glass found on a countless number of smartphones, but the company also has a cabling business on the side. And while it's largely been geared toward enterprise to this point, Corning is preparing to enter the consumer space with optical Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 cables. To be clear, there are no speed advantages when choosing optical wiring over existing fiber solutions. Where optical bests the competition is wire length: Corning's USB cables will be come in sizes up to 100 feet.

Corning's new "Thunderbolt Optical Cables" and "USB 3.Optical Cables" both use the company's ClearCurve VSDN optical fiber technology to significantly extend the range of data transmission over traditional copper-based products. According to Corning, the new cables are also stronger than copper cables despite being 50 percent smaller and 80 percent lighter.

Corning teased the Thunderbolt version of its aptly-named "Optical Cable" in an announcement last week regarding the company's upcoming Gorilla Glass 3.

We all know how expensive cables for our beloved devices can be, especially things like their Thunderbolt cables direct from an Apple Store. Today the folks from Corning announced a brand new sister company called Optical Cables by Corning, and they’ll be delivering longer, more durable and lightweight cables for a low price.

Corning Cable Systems LLC will introduce Optical Cables by Corning

HICKORY, N.C., January 07, 2013 – Corning Cable Systems LLC, part of Corning Incorporated’s (NYSE:GLW) Telecommunications segment, will introduce Optical Cables by Corning, designed for use with consumer electronics, at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), in Las Vegas. The cables are compatible with Thunderbolt™ and USB 3.0, the two fastest computer and peripheral connectivity protocols.

Thunderbolt enthusiasts have only been able to rely on the use of copper core cables -- which offer significant limitations on distance -- for their data transfer needs, but hope is close at hand. This afternoon, Corning announced that it's launching optical cables with Thunderbolt connectivity.