Now, SubSea Environmental Services is pulling it from the seabed close to Portugal. The world's first fiber-optic cable became operational on December 14, 1988, and retired in 2002 after 14 years of use, when a fault made it too expensive to repair. Crews recovering the first transatlantic fiber-optic system, TAT-8, are bringing up repeaters, steel "fish-bite" armor, and copper power conductors, all of which are now being dismantled and processed through modern recycling facilities. TAT-8, which began service in 1988 and went offline in 2002, is now being recovered from the seabed near Portugal — marking the end of a system. In 1988, when it was initially installed, the TAT-8 was the very first undersea fiber optic cable. It revolutionized internet cables but was retired in 2002. Recovery helps clear paths for new cables & reclaims valuable materials like copper. The first transatlantic fiber-optic.
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