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NEWSBITS
PTCL, Chinese firm sign optic fibre pact
A contract was signed at Islamabad between the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited and ZhongXing Telecom Pakistan (pvt) Ltd (ZTE), for implementation of Optical Fibre Access Network for 17,600 lines and 2.5 GB SDH Junction Transport Network for Islamabad/ Rawalpindi metropolitan area and for 20,000 lines and 2.5/10 GB SDH Junction Transport Network for Lahore metropolitan.
According to a PTCL statement the project of Optical Fibre Access Network (OFAN) in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi has been conceived to fibrize the last mile solution of PTCL network according to prevailing telecommunication requirements set by ITUT and competitive telecom environment.
It is the intention of the PTCL management to progressively deploy Optical Access Network for the delivery of narrowband and broadband telecommunication services to its customers, initially in major cities.
The objective of the PTCL is two-fold: firstly, to introduce fibre optic cabling nearer to the subscriber, initially up to the curb (FTTC)/or the multistory building (FTTB), and thereby create the necessary infrastructure for the future broadband services; and secondly, to provide the latest and the state of the art services to its customers.
The real strength of Optical Access Network is ready for emerging broadband services such as multimedia and fast Internet access and other new and rapidly growing interactive data communication services.
The following services will be provided via Optical Fibre Access: Plots (plain old telephone services), Cable TV, ISDV BRA, ISDN PRA Data and DSL services. — Dawn ScienceDotcom
Feel the future of textiles, now!
EXCITING new technologies developed at universities in the United Kingdom promise to revolutionise how people interact with textiles and garments, and may also facilitate e-commerce.
In the textile department at the University of Manchester’s Institute of Technology (UMIST), Dr Hugh Gong has created a machine straight out of the realms of science-fiction - a machine that can feel textiles - and does it better than humans.
Dr Gong’s equipment at the Fabric Objective Measurement Centre (FOMC), is the most advanced technology for measuring exactly how soft a fabric is. And because it uses specific processes to achieve this accurate result, errors and mood swings of a human quality controller are eliminated.
The technology, which has been developed using industry funding over the last decade, is already being used by a host of international companies including Coates, Marks & Spencer, Unilever and Procter & Gamble.
The FOMC machine uses a set of four instruments to measure the surface properties of the fabric: compression, stiffness when bending, sheer stiffness, and stretchiness and elasticity. These are all measured using a small amount of force to simulate the manipulation of the fabric when human fingers touch it. In total, 16 parameters are measured and these are then used to calculate the hand (or feel) of the fabric.
Items that can be evaluated include new fabrics, new finishes on fabrics, babies' nappies and even paper tissues. It could also show the effects of using a certain washing powder or machine on a fabric, by measuring the softness before and after washing.
Dr Gong said: “Babies cannot tell you how soft their nappy feels. The company can use the measurement to prove their product is genuinely softer for them. A human quality controller can experience mood changes - when they are feeling good, they may believe a fabric feels softer. The technology in the centre will always provide objective data on the softness of the fabric.”
Another mould-breaking technology that enables textile traders and customers wherever they are around the globe to see what textiles and garments look like has the potential to facilitate e-commerce. The Hometex project, a Virtual Textile Trading Centre, being developed at Heriot-Watt University’s School of Textiles and Design, will use state-of-the-art multimedia technology to replicate the drape of textiles and garments enabling virtual marketing and selling. The facility will be the only one of its kind in Scotland.
The head of the new project, Professor George Stylios, said: “The selling of textiles is fundamentally different to other commodities in that customers want to see how the garment or the textile drapes. Now that we have the technology to do this, there are great benefits for the industry. Companies will be able to enhance product development through three-dimensional (3D) visualisation, to reduce unnecessary products to market and to trade directly with customers worldwide. — Dawn/London Press Service
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