- NICT researchers have reached 430 Tbps compared to conventional optical fiber
- The new approach used almost 20% less overall transmission bandwidth
- Multiple modes transmitted simultaneously in the O-band and ESCL bands
Imagine downloading the 80 GB Battlefield 6 in milliseconds – at least 100 times faster than the time it takes you to blink – well, that’s what the latest world 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 rate of 430 Tbps using standard telecommunication optical fiber.
The demonstration surpassed the group’s previous record of 402 Tbps by relying 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 while using almost 20% less overall bandwidth.
The approach builds on standard fiber already installed in global networks, which collectively 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 their initial design limits.
Compared to previous work, the focus has shifted from consuming additional spectrum to extracting more data from the same physical media.
This milestone in fiber optics follows other high-profile demonstrations that highlight divergent paths to extreme data rates.
Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology, in collaboration with Aircision, previously wirelessly transmitted 5.7 terabits per second over 4.6 kilometers using focused infrared beams.
This experiment relied on free-space optical communication to create parallel, interference-free links where physical fiber would be difficult to deploy.
In a separate laboratory test, NICT and its partners also demonstrated 1.02 petabits per second over 1,808 kilometers using 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-off optical fibers can carry significantly more data than initially expected.
By using wavelengths below the cutoff point, data can be transmitted in multiple modes simultaneously, improving spectral efficiency.
In this experiment, the team performed three-mode transmission in the O-band while the fundamental mode operated in the ESCL bands.
These experiments collectively suggest that existing optical infrastructure still has untapped capacity, even though all results were obtained under controlled conditions.
The relevance for future wireless research, including work often discussed in relation to 7G wireless, remains indirect and largely exploratory.
Even if the records demonstrate technical feasibility, translating lab results into resilient, cost-effective networks will depend on factors beyond raw transmission speed.
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