
It’s official – Japanese scientists have created a fibre optic cable that achieves a data transmission speed of over 125,000 GB per second, or about 1.25 million gigabits per second. That’s four million times faster than the average internet connection in the USA. For comparison – it would allow you to download the entire content of the Internet Archive… in under four minutes.
The achievement was showcased during the 48th edition of the Optical Fiber Communication Conference in San Francisco. The technology is backed by the Japanese National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT).
1800 kilometres of optical fibre. And no losses
It’s not just the speed that impresses here. Scientists transmitted data over a distance of 1802 kilometres – roughly the same as from Warsaw to Barcelona. Moreover, they achieved this using a cable with a thickness of 0.127 mm, which is the same as most standard optical fibres. The difference? Inside, there are as many as 19 transmission cores instead of just one.
The new fibres have identical optical properties, meaning that light behaves the same way in them – this allows for minimised interference and reduced data losses over long distances.
Previous record? Over twice beaten
For context: the previous speed record belonged to another team and was 50,250 Gbps. The new achievement by Japanese researchers surpasses it by more than twice, and with a significantly greater reach.
To achieve such a result, the data had to be amplified and transmitted through the entire system 21 times before reaching the final recipient. This is a huge step forward in the context of future fibre optic networks – especially those that are set to handle international or intercontinental traffic.
What’s next? New infrastructure and practical implementations
According to NICT, global data demand will grow exponentially. Record fibre optics might be the answer to this problem, as it is compatible with existing infrastructure while being many times more efficient.
The next step? Check how the technology performs outside the lab. If field tests confirm its effectiveness, perhaps in a few years, today’s fibre connections will look like 90s modems.