On the basis of a known process for the production of a preform for an optical fiber for optical data transmission technology, the productivity of the process for the production of complex refractive index profiles is to be improved by providing a quartz glass substrate tube which exhibits different doping in radial direction, introducing a core glass made of synthetic quartz glass into the substrate tube and covering the substrate tube with a jacket tube. A substrate tube suitable therefor is also being provided which tube requires less core glass material for the production of the preform, whether during the internal deposition or for the core glass rod in the rod-in-tube technique. Regarding the process it is proposed according to the invention that a substrate tube be used which was obtained by vitrification of a porous tube-shaped SiO2 blank, the substrate tube being provided with a core glass layer which is produced in that to the first radial portion of the SiO2 blank there is added before the vitrification a first dopant which increases the refractive index of quartz glass. The substrate tube according to the invention has in the radial direction regions of different doping whereby it incorporates a core glass layer which has a refractive index of at least 1.459.