The fastest fiber optic data transmission to date reaches 301TB/s, which is 4.5 million times the average broadband speed in the UK

According to the Physicists' Organization website on the 26th, scientists from Aston University in the UK, the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) in Japan, and Nokia Bell Labs in the United States used a new band that has not yet been used in the optical fiber system to allow data to be transmitted at a speed of 301 terabits (TB) per second in an optical fiber, which is the highest data transmission speed known to date. The relevant paper has been submitted to the European Conference on Optical Communications (ECOC) held in Glasgow.

Dr Phillips with the wavelength management device.
Image credit: Aston University

The research team achieved the above speed by using newly developed optical amplifiers and optical gain equalizers to utilize new bands that have not yet been used in the optical fiber system. In September 2023, the UK Communications Authority released a report on the performance of UK home broadband, pointing out that the country's average broadband speed is 69.4 megabits (MB) per second, while the latest data transmission speed is 4.5 million times that.

The researchers said that in a broad sense, data is sent through optical fiber, and different bands are equivalent to different colors of light transmitted along the optical fiber. In the latest study, they used the E-band and S-band in addition to the commercial C-band and L-band. Traditional data transmission does not require the E-band and S-band because the capacity provided by the C-band and L-band is sufficient to meet consumer needs.

The E-band is adjacent to the C-band in the electromagnetic spectrum, but is about three times wider. Over the past few years, Aston University has been developing optical amplifiers that operate in the E-band. In this study, they have for the first time correctly simulated the E-band channel in a controllable way.

The research team pointed out that compared with deploying more newer optical fibers and cables, this method is more environmentally friendly because it mainly utilizes the existing optical fiber network, increases its data transmission capacity, and extends its service life and commercial value. The demand for data in the information age is increasing day by day, and this new technology will help meet future needs.