An Australian research team has announced that it has recorded a record Internet data transfer rate of 44.2 TB per second.
This speed would, for example, download 1000 films in high definition in a fraction of a second, said in a statement Monash University in Melbourne, where the scientists responsible for the study came from.
The results were released on Friday(New window). The record was not only achieved in laboratory conditions but also by using the existing fiber-optic network between two of the participating universities, 75 km away.
To achieve such results, the research team used an optical micro-frequency
chip, smaller than a 25- penny
coin.
The result announced on Friday is the highest speed recorded for a single optical chip. Optical chips are used on the planet in fiber optic communication systems.
In 2014, another research team had recorded a throughput of 255 Tb per second, in the laboratory, using innovative 7-core optical fiber. But the study published Friday suggests that we could significantly increase Internet speed on existing fiber-optic infrastructure.
The containment measures put in place all over the planet to combat the spread of COVID-19 have made the Internet busier than ever.
The discovery could greatly increase the capacity of global networks in a few years if implemented, scientists hope.