Abstract: An optical fiber communication system wherein predisposed emission means cause enhanced emission, at intermediate points along the fiber, of radiation propagating longitudinally through the fiber. Emission means according to this invention are incorporated into the fiber during fiber manufacture, and can be activatable or nonactivatable. Activatable means are preferred and comprise an effective concentration of an activatable chemical species, i.e., a species which can be activated by exposure to activating means, e.g., electromagnetic radiation, electrons, ions, or heat, activation typically resulting in a change of a fiber property, e.g, the refractive index, in a fiber region. Nonactivatable means comprise localized variations in one or more fiber parameters, spaced along the fiber. The enhanced emission can be detected and processed by conventional means.