Japanese NTT Access Network Service Systems Laboratories announced on November 8 that it has developed an optical fiber cord which can be bent and knotted without interfering with the passage of optical signals. The cord makes it easier to lay optical fiber cords in rooms and it has the added advantage that excess length of a cable can be tightly bundled, which is not the case with existing cords. NTT has made the new cord possible by surrounding the signal-carrying core with six air-filled tubes, ensuring that light does not leak when the cord is bent. Furthermore, a highly pliable material has been used for the outer layer of the cord, protecting the cord when pressure is exerted from the outside. NTT Access Network Service Systems Laboratories expects the cord to come into practical use within a year.