Japanese Firms' Fiber Output Grows

Japan's top three optical fiber cable makers, Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd., Furukawa Electric Co. and Fujikura Ltd., are expanding output, according to the Asia Pulse news service. The service says this race for market share threatens to create a glut on the market.
Sumitomo will invest ¥10 billion to ¥15 billion to boost its capacity, estimated at more than 2 million km of optical cores, by 40 percent in late 1998.
Furukawa will spend ¥10 billion to double its capacity for optical fiber to 3 million km of cable cores by fall.
Fujikura plans to manufacture 50 percent more optical cable and invested ¥7 billion in a plant near Tokyo last year.
A fourth player, Hitachi Cable Ltd., is also planning a large facility.