- NICT researchers achieved 430 Tbps over conventional optical fiber
- New approach used almost 20% less total transmission bandwidth
- Multiple modes are transmitted simultaneously in the O-band and ESCL bands
Imagine downloading 80 GB Battlefield 6 in a matter of milliseconds – at least 100 times faster than the time it takes you to blink – well, that’s what the world’s latest internet speed or record offers.
Researchers linked to Britain’s Aston University and Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology reported a transmission speed of 430 Tbps using standard telecommunications optical fiber.
The demonstration surpassed the group’s previous record of 402 Tbps, while relying on widely deployed single-mode fiber rather than custom cables.
How capacity increased without new cables
The experiment focused on improving spectral efficiency and achieving higher throughput while using nearly 20% less total bandwidth.
The approach is based on standard fiber that has already been installed across global networks, which together exceed several billion kilometers.
By exploiting wavelengths below the traditional cutoff point, the team transmitted data using multiple modes in parallel while maintaining compatibility with existing systems.
The researchers said this method extends the usable capacity of standards-compliant fibers beyond their original design limits.
Compared to previous work, the emphasis shifted away from consuming additional spectrum to extracting more data from the same physical media.
The fiber milestone follows other high-profile demonstrations that highlight divergent paths toward extreme data speeds.
Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology working with Aircision previously transmitted 5.7 terabits per second wirelessly over 4.6 kilometers using focused infrared beams.
This experiment relied on free-space optical communications to create parallel, interference-free connections where physical fiber would be difficult to implement.
In a separate lab test, NICT and its partners also demonstrated 1.02 petabits per second over 1,808 kilometers using a standard-diameter 19-core fiber, establishing a capacity-distance record without changing cable size.
According to the NICT researchers, their latest study, which was presented at the 51st European Conference on Optical Communication in Denmark, shows that standards-compliant cutoff-shifted optical fibers can carry far more data than originally intended.
By using wavelengths below the cutoff point, data can be transmitted simultaneously in multiple modes, improving spectral efficiency.
In this experiment, the team performed three-mode transmission in the O-band, while the fundamental mode operated in the ESCL bands.
Collectively, these experiments suggest that existing optical infrastructure still has unused capacity, although all results were obtained under controlled conditions.
The relevance for future wireless research, including work often discussed in relation to wireless 7G, remains indirect and largely exploratory.
Although the record shows technical feasibility, translating lab results into resilient, economic networks will depend on factors beyond raw transmission speed.
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