Scientists achieve record-breaking data transmission speeds

Researchers have achieved record-breaking fibre-optic data transfer speeds of 402 terabits per second, roughly 1.6 million times faster than typical home broadband speeds. Scientists at Aston University in the UK achieved these new speeds by tapping into all the wavelength bands used in commercially available fibreoptic cables. Only one or two bands are used in most fibre-optic broadband connections.

- KEUMARS AFIFI-SABET

The new record is 25 per cent faster than the previous one set by the same team of scientists in March. In previous experiments they achieved speeds of 301 terabits per second by using four of the six wavelength bands in fibre-optic cables. "This finding could help increase capacity on a single fibre so the world would have a higher performing system," said lan Phillips, a teaching fellow in electronics and computer engineering at Aston University. "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."