A data transmission of 301Tbps was reportedly achieved by researchers with Aston University in the U.K..
According to The Independent, this speed is believed to be 4.5X faster than average broadband, and was set by an international team of researchers employing optical fiber. It was noted that the milestone offers the equivalent of streaming 9,000 HD films in one second, and would theoretically support a one-minute download of every film listed on IBDb.
Current U.K. average broadband speeds top out at 69.4Mbps, per Ofcom.
The Independent noted that the transmission was achieved by developing a new optical processing device that opened up new wavelength bands not been previously used in fiber optic systems.
“Broadly speaking, data was sent via an optical fiber like a home or office internet connection,” said Ian Phillips of Aston University’s School of Computer Science and Digital Technologies, to The Independent. “However, alongside the commercially available C- and L-bands, we used two additional spectral bands called E-band and S-band. Such bands traditionally haven’t been required because the C- and L-bands could deliver the required capacity to meet consumer needs.”
Researchers believe the technology could be used to help ISPs meet demand for faster internet speed without deploying new fibers and cables.
“By increasing transmission capacity in the backbone network, our experiment could lead to vastly improved connections for end users,” said Aston’s Wladek Forysiak. “This groundbreaking accomplishment highlights the crucial role of advancing optical fiber technology in revolutionizing communication networks for faster and more reliable data transmission.”
Research was published by the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) and presented at the European Conference on Optical Communication (EOCC).
