In 1878, Edison began working on a system of electrical illumination, something he hoped could compete with gas and oil based lighting.[46] He began by tackling the problem of creating a long-lasting incandescent lamp, something that would be needed for indoor use. Many earlier inventors had previously devised incandescent lamps, Edison realized that in order to keep the thickness of the copper wire needed to connect electric lights economically manageable he would have to develop a lamp that would draw a low amount of current. This meant the lamp would have to have a high resistance.[49]