In a groundbreaking achievement, engineers have set a new internet speed record of 402 terabits per second (Tbps) using standard fiber optic cables. This speed is fast enough to download an entire library of large video games in mere milliseconds. A team of engineers in Japan reached this incredible speed using commercially available optical fibers and signal amplifiers over a distance of 50 kilometers.
The achievement represents a 25% improvement over the previous record set last October. The team utilized multiple transmission bands, state-of-the-art amplifiers, and gain equalizers to achieve a total signal bandwidth of 37.6 THz. This offers over 100,000 times more bandwidth than the latest WiFi 7 capabilities.
While this development is exciting, the current cost and complexity of the setup mean it won’t be available for home use anytime soon. The industry, however, is likely to benefit significantly from these advancements.
World record internet speed achieved
At an estimated peak rate of 402 Tbps, or 50.25 terabytes per second (TB/s), the speed achieved could theoretically enable users to download massive files in the blink of an eye. For context, downloading a game like Baldur’s Gate 3, which is roughly 150 GB, would take less than a fraction of a second. However, even the most advanced consumer-grade hardware today would struggle to keep up with such speeds due to multiple bottlenecks.
Components like Ethernet ports, which are generally rated at 10 gigabits per second (Gbps), and internal bus speeds would severely limit the practical application of such high-speed data transmission in home computers. Despite these limitations, the achievement marks an exciting step forward in the potential of internet technology. Who knows what the future holds?
Perhaps in a couple of decades, home broadband packages may reach these incredible speeds, and today’s bottlenecks will be a thing of the past. For now, we can marvel at the progress and anticipate the future advancements that will continue to push the envelope of what’s possible in digital communication.
