Scientists use optical fiber to achieve a world record of 178Tbps internet speed

What do you think the fastest internet speed will be?

A study by researchers at University College London has just broken the world record for the fastest Internet speed, reaching 178 terabits per second, or 178,000Gbps, or 178Tbps. This is a concept that can be simply downloaded in one second. Netflix's entire library of movies and TV shows.

"While the current state-of-the-art cloud data center interconnects are capable of transmitting up to 35 terabits per second, we are investigating new technologies that make more efficient use of existing infrastructure, better utilize fiber bandwidth, and achieve a world record transmission rate of 178,000Gbps," said Dr. Lidia Galdino, a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow and her team, along with Xtera and KDDI Research.

This is undoubtedly a crazy feat in the history of transmission. Most current bandwidths can reach 4.5THz, and some new technologies are close to 9THz. However, the team's new system raises the standard to 16.8 THz, and the data transmission speed of 178,000Gbps is 17,800 times the fastest Internet connection currently available to consumers, and even far exceeds NASA's ESnet (400Gb/s).

To achieve these speeds, engineers at University College London (UCL), Xtera and KDDI Research have developed new techniques that not only extend the signal receiving system, but also amplify the signal and modulate the light signal before it is sent down the optical fiber, thereby achieving wider bandwidth than usual.

This could be an economical solution that helps narrow the "digital divide".