Broad-area MQW laser diodes using compressively strained (1.3%) InGaAsP wells are shown to have low threshold current density (= 460 A cm-2) at lambda = 1.75 mum. Ridge wave-guide lasers fabricated from the same material show low threshold currents, typically 20 mA with a differential efficiency of 23% per facet. These results constitute the best device performance to date for the InGaAsP/InP system in the 1.6-2.2 mum-wavelength region.