A half-dispersion-shifted single mode optical transmission fiber (HDSF) having a core and a cladding. The core has an inner core with a first refractive-index difference and a first glass layer surrounding the inner core and having a second refractive-index difference. The HDSF fiber has a peak refractive index difference of less than or equal to about 0.0140, a zero-dispersion wavelength greater than 1450 nm and lower than 1500 nm, a dispersion value of between about 6 and 11 ps/nm/km at an operating wavelength of about 1560 nm and an effective area of at least 60 m². The cabled HDSF fiber has cutoff wavelength of less than about 1500 nm. An optical transmission line having a first span including at least one single-mode fiber having a negative dispersion at an operating wavelength and a second span coupling to the first span, the second span having at least one HDSF fiber, the positive dispersion of the second span compensating the negative dispersion of the first span such that the cumulative dispersion across the first and second spans is approximately zero.