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Copied without permission from CNN web site. Time to close the shop? --vadim Quantum device brings end to the "World Wide Wait" April 1, 1998 Web posted at 1:02 a.m. EST (0602 GMT) NEW JERSEY (CNN) - A major technological breakthrough was announced today by the research division of the leading telecommunication equipment manufacturer, Lucent Technologies. The invention by Bell Laboratories scientist Dr. Mas Karud makes existing communication equipment obsolete by providing a technique for distance-insensitive instaneous communication. "The possibility of such instaneous communication was accepted by scientific community for a long time" says Dr. Karud. "The device we demonstrated today exploits the quantum phenomenon known as Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox". However, putting the quantum-based technique to practial use has proved elusive. Dr. Kurad spent more than 10 years in search of ways to compensate for the inherent unpredictability of quantum systems and slow down decay of the "wave function". The device demonstrated by Lucent allows simulatneous interference-free communication of at least ten billion of "stations" at speeds exceeding several billion bits per second, or at least a million times faster than the modems commonly used to access Internet. The most intriguing feature, however, is the absense of delays and dissipation of signal with the distance. Dr. Karud explains that the quantum wave functions "collapse" instaneously, seemingly violating one of the main postulates of Einstein's general theory of relativity. The paradoxial nature of such instaneous "collapse" discovered by Einstein made him to declare the quantum mechanics invalid. However, the later research confirmed the basic principles of quantum mechanics, making it one of the most important parts of the modern science. The announcement marks the beginning of the revolution in telecommunications, declares Lucent. The entire industries of fiber optic and radio communications are made obsolete by the amazing device. There's no longer any need to "route" data and voice packets through many "switches" or "routers', since the users will be able to communicate directly. "This is the end of the era of tyranny of telecom dinosaurs" says Don Huboldt, telecom analyst at Wessels, Arnold & Heiss. The shares of AT&T Corp. (T) were down 12-3/4, to 51-1/2, on the news of the announcement, promting highly volatile trading in the entire telecom sector. Vice President Al Gore congratulated the Bell Laboratories team in a telephone call following the annoncement. "This is the best example of how steadfast commitment of United States Goverment to supporting scientific research and education pays back by making American nation the leader in innovation and technology" said Mr. Gore. However, not everybody welcomed the news. The most outspoken was John Chambers, the CEO of the Internet routing equipment vendor, Cisco Systems (CSCO). At the hastily assembled press-conference he said that "it is time to close the shop" for Internet router vendors. Representatives of 3Com Corp, Accend Communications and Bay Networks declined to comment. Shares of Lucent Technologies (LU) finished up 25-3/8 to 150-1/4 at Tuesday's close.
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