Scientists from Aston University, in collaboration with the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology in Japan and Nokia Bell Labs in the United States, have achieved a breakthrough in broadband speeds. They managed to send data at a rate that is 4.5 million times faster than the average home broadband speed. This was accomplished by transmitting data at a rate of 301,000,000 megabits per second using a single, standard optical fiber.
The team achieved this feat by opening up new wavelength bands that are not yet used in fiber optic systems. They developed new devices called optical amplifiers and optical gain equalizers to access these bands. Aston University has been developing optical amplifiers that operate in the E-band, which is about three times wider than traditional wavelengths used for data transmission.
This development does not require new infrastructure to drastically improve internet speeds and could allow significantly faster internet speeds through existing fiber cables. If implemented widely, this new and faster internet could help give access to the tens of millions of people who don’t have reliable internet. For average internet users, it could make downloading movies and large files near instantaneous. For large businesses and tech researchers, it could accelerate development speeds multiple times over. The future impact of this breakthrough on public perception of the tech industry remains to be seen.
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