World record for data transfer speed set by Aston University

Typically, fiber-optic communications use only one or two bands. But scientists at the Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies (AIPT) used six. They helped to construct the first optical transmission system to include six wavelength bands (O, E, S, C, L, and U).

To put that in context, that speed is more than 100 million times faster than Netflix’s recommended internet connection speed. Specifically, 3 Mbps or higher to watch an HD movie.

The latest experiment broke the previous record, announced in March 2024, of 301 terabits (or 301,000,000 megabits) per second using a single standard optical fiber.

Single fiber

“This discovery could help increase the capacity of a single fibre, giving the world a more efficient system,” said Dr Ian Philips of Aston University. He was involved at Aston with Professor Wladek Forysiak.

“The newly developed technology is expected to significantly expand the capacity of optical communication infrastructure as future data services will experience rapid growth in demand.”

It should be noted that the research was conducted by the Photonic Network Laboratory of the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT). It is based in Tokyo, Japan, and the work also involved Nokia Bell Laboratories in the US.

You can read our technology editor’s in-depth take on the research here . For example, he writes:

“Amplifiers doped with praseodymium, bismuth, and thulium were used for the O, E, and S bands, and erbium for the C and L bands.”

“The fiber was a single-core, single-mode, suppressed-peak water absorption fiber with a 0.125 mm diameter cladding and a coating increasing its diameter to 0.235–0.265 mm.”

World record

The results were presented in the form of a paper at the 47th International Conference on Optical Fiber Communications (OFC 2024).

The researchers emphasize that they receive funding from a wide range of entities. For example, EPSRC, the Royal Society and the EU’s European Training Network.

Photo: Aston University – Dr Ian Philips

See also:Arduino shield demonstrates 25m fiber optic communication