- NTIC researchers achieved 430 Tbps over conventional fiber optics
- The new approach used almost 20% less total transmission bandwidth
- Multiple modes transmitted simultaneously on O-band and ESCL bands
Imagine downloading 80GB Battlefield 6 in a matter of milliseconds, at least 100 times faster than the time it takes you to blink, well, this is what the world’s latest Internet speed record offers.
Researchers linked to the UK’s Aston University and Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology reported a transmission speed of 430 Tbps using standard telecommunications fiber optics.
The demonstration surpassed the group’s previous record of 402 Tbps and relied on widely deployed single-mode fiber rather than custom cabling.
How capacity increased without new cables
The experiment focused on improving spectral efficiency and achieving higher throughput using almost 20% less overall bandwidth.
The approach is based on standard fiber already installed in global networks, which together exceed several billion kilometers.
By exploiting wavelengths below the traditional cutoff point, the team transmitted data using multiple modes in parallel while maintaining compatibility with existing systems.
The researchers said this method extends the usable capacity of standards-compliant fibers beyond the limits of their original design.
Compared to previous work, the emphasis shifted from consuming additional spectrum to extracting more data from the same physical medium.
The fiber milestone follows other high-profile demonstrations highlighting divergent paths to extreme data speeds.
Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology, in collaboration with Aircision, previously transmitted 5.7 terabits per second wirelessly over 4.6 kilometers using focused infrared rays.
That experiment relied on free-space optical communication to create parallel, interference-free links where physical fiber would be difficult to implement.
In an independent laboratory test, NICT and its partners also demonstrated 1.02 petabits per second over 1,808 kilometers using a standard diameter 19-core fiber, setting a capacity-distance record without changing cable size.
According to NICT researchers, their latest study presented at the 51st European Conference on Optical Communication in Denmark shows that standards-compliant cut-shifted optical fibers can carry much more data than initially anticipated.
By using wavelengths below the cutoff, data can be transmitted simultaneously in multiple modes, improving spectral efficiency.
In this experiment, the team carried out three-mode transmission in the O-band while the fundamental mode operated in the ESCL bands.
These experiments together suggest that the existing optical infrastructure still has untapped capacity, although all results were achieved under controlled conditions.
The relevance to future wireless research, including work often discussed in relation to 7G wireless technology, remains indirect and largely exploratory.
Although records demonstrate technical feasibility, translating the lab’s achievements into affordable, resilient networks will depend on factors beyond raw transmission speed.
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