The fabrication and performance characteristics of frequency tunable two‐section distributed feedback lasers are reported. The lasers are of the double channel planar buried heterostructure type and utilize a second order grating for frequency selective feedback. The laser emits in a single frequency with a cw linewidth of ∼50 MHz. The single frequency output can be tuned by ∼2 A˚ by varying the current through one of the two sections. Electronically tunable sources of this type are potentially useful for coherent fiber transmission systems.