Very low OH content optical fibres consisting of P2O5-doped silica core and GeO2-P2O5-B2O3-doped silica cladding were fabricated by the m.c.v.d. technique. The relation between the OH absorption loss and the deposition temperature was clarified. The OH content in this fibre could be reduced to about seven parts per billion (∼ 7 × 10−9) by using a low deposition temperature.