Researchers from the University of Astonia in the UK achieved a record data transfer speed via the Internet. The speed reached is 4.5 million times higher than the average speed of house-wide access in the United Kingdom. This breakthrough was made possible by utilizing special wavelengths that were previously unused in fiber-optical systems.
In a collaborative effort, a team of researchers managed to transmit data at a speed of 301 terabits per second (301,000,000 megabits per second) using a standard fiber-fiber cable. To put this into perspective, the average Internet speed for household access in the UK in September 2023 was reported to be 69.4 Mbps according to an Ofcom report. This speed increase equates to 4.5 million times faster than the average.
The successful achievement was the result of the combined efforts of Professor Vladek Foriyak and Dr. Yana Phillips from the Institute of Photo Technologies of Astonian University, in collaboration with researchers from the National Institute of Information and Communication Technologies (NICT) in Japan, as well as Nokia Bell Labs in the United States.
The key to reaching such high speeds lies in tapping into new wavelength ranges that are typically not used in standard fiber-optic Internet systems. Different wavelengths represent different colors of transmitted light through fiber optics. The team’s success was attributed to the development of new devices such as optical amplifiers and optical aligners with amplification coefficients for accessing these ranges.
Dr. Phillips, who led the development of an optical processor, explained, “Data transmission occurred through fiber, similar to a regular home or office Internet connection. However, in addition to the commercially available C and L bands, we incorporated two additional spectral ranges known as E-band and S-band. These ranges were traditionally unnecessary as C and L bands could meet consumer demand.”
Professor Foriyak commented, “Enhancing throughput in the main network through our experiment could significantly improve end-user connections. This breakthrough highlights the pivotal role of optical fiber technology in revolutionizing communication networks for quicker and more reliable data transfers.”
With the growing demand for Internet data transfers, this new technology is poised to surpass future human data transfer needs. This achievement not only propels the industry forward