Most of us are happy with a stable internet connection, sufficient for video streaming and online multiplayer games. But engineers are always pushing boundaries, and this is where the Japanese team nearly doubled the world internet speed record.
According to Tom’s Hardware, a team of engineers from the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) broke previous world records, reaching 178 terabits per second (Tbps) and 319 Tbps while maintaining extremely high speeds over long distances. There is no deceleration at an altitude of more than 3,001 km, that is, about 1,865 miles.
Of course, such a high speed would not have been possible without the introduction of some new technologies. The cable used is a 4-core fiber using “552 PDM-16QAM Multi-Channel Wavelength Division”. Engineers also used Erbium and Thulium Fiber Expanded and Dispersive Raman Reinforcement.
Technically, this doesn’t make much sense to me. However, it is a much needed step as we continue to look for ways to dramatically increase speed to meet future demand.
The remarkable acceleration is also due to the fact that the engineering team first started using transmissions in the S, C and L bands. For long distance transmissions, the C and L bands are commonly used, but this time the S band is also used. Another good news is that quad-core fiber works with existing hardware, so it should be easier and cheaper to deploy.
The NICT team is not over yet. They believe they can find higher speeds and further increases in usable bandwidth. Also, work is underway to expand the transmission range over distances across the ocean.
It is almost impossible to imagine such raw bandwidth flowing into homes and offices. But its uses and possibilities are endless. We will not hold our breath and wait for local ISPs to implement this technology soon.
