Fiber-Optic Data Transfer Speeds Hit A Rapid 301 Tbps
Live Science, Friday, March 29th, 2024
The researchers hit a rate of 301 terabits per second - equivalent to transferring 1,800 4K movies over the internet in one second - using existing fiber-optic cables.
Scientists have achieved fiber-optic data transfer speeds 1.2 million times faster than the average fixed broadband line by tapping into a previously unstable transmission band for the first time.
The researchers hit a rate of 301 terabits per second (Tbps) - equivalent to transferring 1,800 4K movies over the internet in one second. The median fixed broadband speed in the U.S. in comparison, is 242.38 megabits per second (Mbps), according to Speed Test.
They achieved this breakneck speed by sending infrared light through tubular strands of glass - which is how fiber-optic broadband works generally. But they tapped into a spectral band that has never been used in commercial systems, called "E-band," using new, custom-built devices.