Japanese researchers have set a new world record for internet speed, achieving an astonishing 402 terabits per second (Tb/s) using standard commercially available optical fiber.
This groundbreaking achievement represents a significant leap forward in data transmission capabilities, surpassing the previous record of 321 Tb/s set last year.
The record-breaking feat was accomplished by an international research team led by the Photonic Network Laboratory at Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT).
The researchers utilized a 50-kilometer stretch of commercially available optical fiber and advanced signal amplification technologies.
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Key aspects of this achievement include:
- Unprecedented bandwidth: The team achieved a remarkable 37.6 THz optical bandwidth, over 100,000 times greater than current WiFi 7 can provide.
- Advanced amplification techniques: The researchers combined six different doped-fiber amplifier variants with lumped and distributed Raman-amplification to cover all the low-loss transmission bands of silica fibers.
- Novel technology: The team developed “the world’s first O to U-band transmission system capable of DWDM transmission in a commercially available standard optical fiber.”
- Practical implications: This breakthrough could potentially expand the capacity of existing optical communication infrastructure to meet the growing demand for data services.
To put this speed into perspective, 402 Tb/s is approximately 1.6 million times faster than the median average broadband speed in the United States.
At this rate, it would be theoretically possible to download the entire Windows 11 installer (over 5 GB) in less than a millisecond.
While this achievement is remarkable, it’s important to note that such speeds are not likely to be available for home use in the near future.
Current consumer hardware, including high-end gaming PCs, lacks the capability to handle such enormous data rates.
Additionally, the cost and infrastructure requirements for implementing this technology on a wide scale remain prohibitive.
Nevertheless, this breakthrough represents a significant milestone in the field of optical communications. As Dr. Ben Puttnam, who presented the findings at the 47th International Conference on Optical Fiber Communications (OFC 2024), stated, “The newly developed technology is expected to make a significant contribution to expand the communication capacity of the optical communication infrastructure as future data services rapidly increase demand.”
As research in this field continues to advance, it may pave the way for future improvements in global internet infrastructure, potentially leading to faster and more efficient data transmission capabilities in the coming decades.
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