Optelecom facts for kids

Optelecom-NKF, Inc. was an American company that made special products for very fast communication. They created systems that sent information, like data, videos, and sounds, using light through tiny glass cables called fiber optic cables.

A Look at Optelecom's History

How Optelecom Started

The company began in 1974. It was first called Optelecom. Two smart people, William Culver and Gordon Gould, started it. Their main goal was to build products that used light to send information. This included using fiber optic cables, special light boosters called optical amplifiers, and lasers.

Before they teamed up, William Culver worked at IBM, a big technology company. Gordon Gould was a scientist at a university in New York. They both wanted to invent new ways to use fiber optics for important technologies.

The Invention of the Laser

Many of Optelecom's products were based on Gordon Gould's amazing invention: the laser. He also invented the optical amplifier. The word "laser" is actually a short way of saying "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation." When he first thought of the laser, he knew it would be very important for sending messages and for things like radar. He even wrote in his journal that its uses for communication were "obvious."

Growing with New Ideas

In 1983, a person named David R. Huber joined William Culver and Gordon Gould at Optelecom. David Huber developed and patented new optical amplifiers and ways to send many signals at once using light.

Optelecom also helped David Huber start his own company, which later became Ciena Corp. William Culver explained that Ciena's goal was to make it possible for a single, thin cable, like a strand of hair, to carry many different signals at the same time. Each signal would travel on a different color or frequency of light.

Becoming Optelecom-NKF

In April 2005, Optelecom changed its name to Optelecom-NKF. This happened because they bought another company called NKF Electronics.

Optelecom-NKF made communication products that sent data, video, and audio very quickly over the internet, Ethernet, and fiber optic cables. Their products were made in a special factory that met high quality standards. They also had a team of experts and partners around the world to help customers.

Acquired by TKH Group

On January 27, 2011, Optelecom-NKF was bought by a company from the Netherlands called TKH Group N.V.