Fastest internet speed ever

Engineers in Japan achieved a record-breaking internet speed of 319 terabits per second (Tb/s). That is about 7.6 million times faster than the average home internet speed in the U.S., you’d be able to download nearly 80,000 movies in just one second.

To break the record for fastest internet speed, researchers developed an experimental optical fiber with four cores, instead of just one.

They then combined their fiber with a laser that fired pulses at different wavelengths and multiple signal amplification techniques. This enabled them to transmit data over a distance of more than 1,800 miles at 319 Tb/s. 

The researchers managed to pack all four cores into a fiber the same diameter as the single-core fibers used to deliver today’s fiber-optic internet. That means it might not be too difficult to integrate the tech into existing infrastructure.

The laser and amplifiers used to break the fastest internet speed record are not cheap, so don’t expect 300 Tb/s home internet any time soon. 

It is hoped that such fibers can enable practical high data-rate transmission in the near-term, contributing to the realization of the backbone communications system necessary for the spread of new communication services beyond 5G.