At a conference on fiber optics, Japanese researchers gave a very impressive demonstration. Their new breed of four-barrel fiber optic cable nearly doubled last year’s last speed record. According to scientists, it could revolutionize the use of the Internet and the development of technologies that are more efficient than 5G.
Broken a previous record
At the latest International Conference on Optical Fiber Communications (OFC 2021), a team from the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) discussed a new fiber optic speed record. The data transfer they performed has: achieved a speed of 319 Tb/swhere a year earlier other Japanese and British researchers set a first record at 178 Tb/s.
According to a July 12, 2021 release, NICT researchers claim to have developed a new type of fiber optic cable, using a state-of-the-art laser. The scientists indicated that their innovation could contribute to: revolutionize the use of the internet but also to develop technologies that go beyond 5G.
Credits: mohamed_hassan/Pixabay
A welcome compatibility
The publication details this speed test conducted in the lab with an experimental four-core fiberglass strand. However, these hearts are housed in a rope with approximately the same size of a standard fiber optic line. This new type of multi-core fibers is thus compatible with conventional cable infrastructure. They are therefore interesting at the level of high-speed and long-distance connections.
NICT scientists claim to have transferred the data to a simulated distance of 3,001 km. Furthermore, the broadcast revealed no degradation of the signal, or even of the speed. Obviously, more research will be needed to enable a possible deployment, but the results are already promising. It must be said that the prospects of granting a Huge speed boost for existing systems seems to be possible.
Besides speed lies the interest in terms of compatibility. Because the cable dimensions are comparable to existing cables, the technology is compatible with current equipment. So it is not necessary to change or adjust it. And luckily, because then it would undoubtedly have been a colossal economic investment that few companies would have adopted.
