Japan has achieved the world’s fastest fiber internet speed to date. The country’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) achieved 402,000 Gbps (402 Tbps) speed using commercially available optical fiber.
The milestone comes with NICT’s cooperation with other labs that use fiber optics to deliver next-generation speeds. And what’s fascinating is that the current statistic is not an isolated event.
Earlier in March, NICT’s UK partner Aston University was able to beam the internet at 301,000 Gbps over a standard fiber cable. The recent one is just another evolution in the lab’s progress. Also, Japanese engineers realized a 319 Tbps speed over fiber optics. The latest trumps all the previous records.
The scientists involved in this research and development offer us a preview of what fixed-line internet will be like in the future years.
The faster the broadband, the better!
The majority of us use the internet for social networking, basic web browsing, searching information on Google, and downloading or uploading files. These use cases don’t require enthralling speed except for when there are a huge number of users or devices demanding bandwidth simultaneously. But more is always better.
To put it in perspective, with a fiber internet speed of 402 Tbps, you could download 12,500 movies in a second, and that in HD quality. With Artificial Intelligence, smart home, AR/VR/MR, faster data rates, and minimal latency will be the primary need. The continuous R&D aims at improving data speeds and overall network performance for all broadband use cases.
According to the latest Ookla report, Nepal’s home broadband speed average is 75.86 Mbps. Compare that with the 402 Tbps. How epic is that!
Also read: Fiber users in Nepal, Latest data
How did NICT achieve the world’s fastest fiber internet speed?
To reach this juggernaut of a speed, NICT utilized more wavelength bands within the optical fibers to up the data transmission speed. The scientists tapped the O-, E-, and S-bands to amplify the data. It’s worth noting that the C- and L- bands are used for long-haul transmission over optical fibers.
The experiment enabled 1,505 wavelength channels within the optical bandwidth. As each channel peaked data rate of over 250 Gbps, all the combined channels hit 402 Tbps speed over 50 kilometers.
Six different kinds of optical amplifiers were used in the test. “Such amplifiers have significantly increased the fiber transmission range and allow amplification of many wavelength channels simultaneously,” the institute says.
The record fiber internet speed was achieved in a lab. So, it’s hard to realize how this will translate to the real world when the technology rolls out commercially. It’s also that subscribers won’t get a 402 Tbps speed for many many years to come. But the improvement gets awe-inspiring with each milestone. Don’t miss: 5G vs Fiber: How Are They Different, which one is better?
NICT cooperates with Nokia Bell Labs and Amonics to enhance fiber technology.
You can use these methods to check your current internet speed. Tell us if you are getting the speed, you are paying for in the comment section below. Also, share with us what would you do if you had a 402 Tbps download speed.
