According to the researchers, “when compared to Netflix’s internet connection speed recommendations of 3 Mbps or higher to watch a high-definition movie, this speed is more than 100 million times faster.”
The speed was achieved by using a wider range, using six bands instead of the previous four, which increased the ability to share data, normally only one or two bands were used.
Advantages of using standard fiber
Optical fibres are tiny tubular glass strands that transmit information using light, unlike regular copper cables that can't carry data at these speeds. In addition to increasing capacity by about a third, the technology uses so-called "standard fibre" that is already being deployed in huge quantities around the world, so there will be no need to install new specialised cables.
As demand for data from businesses and individuals increases, this new discovery could help keep broadband prices stable despite improvements in capacity and speed.
“This discovery could help increase capacity on a single fibre so the world has a higher performance system,” said Dr Phillips from Aston University. “The newly developed technology is expected to make a significant contribution to expanding the connectivity capacity of optical communications infrastructure as future data services rapidly increase demand.”
“This is a ‘heroic experiment’ made possible by the effort of a multinational team and state-of-the-art technical developments in telecommunications research laboratories from around the world,” added his colleague, Professor Vladek Forisiak.
The results of the experiment were accepted as a research paper after the deadline at the 47th International Conference on Optical Fiber Communications (OFC 2024) in the USA on March 28.