Engineers in Japan have achieved a new world record for the fastest internet speed by achieving a blazing-fast transmission rate of 319 terabits per second (Tb/s), nearly double the previous record of 178 Tb/s that was set in 2020 and many, many times higher than what the average broadband user is accustomed to. What’s especially remarkable about the feat is the type of technology that was used. As explained in a paper presented during June’s International Conference on Optical Fiber Communications, the engineers managed to achieve the new transmission record using a 1,864-mile-long line of fibers compatible with modern-day cable infrastructure, albeit with a few advanced add-ons.
The research team used four “cores”, which are glass tubes housed within the fibers that transmit the data, instead of the conventional standard core. The signals are then broken down into several wavelengths sent at the same time, employing a technique known as wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM). To carry more data, the researchers used a rarely-employed third “band”, extending the distance via several optical amplification technologies.
Sources: OFC, Interesting Engineering