Fiber-optic data transfer speeds hit a rapid 301 Tbps — 1.2 million times faster than your home broadband connection

Scientists have achieved fiber-optic data transfer speeds 1.2 million times faster than the average fixed broadband line by tapping into a previously unstable transmission band for the first time.

The researchers hit a rate of 301 terabits per second (Tbps) — equivalent to transferring 1,800 4K movies over the internet in one second. The median fixed broadband speed in the U.S. in comparison, is 242.38 megabits per second (Mbps), according to Speed Test.

They achieved this breakneck speed by sending infrared light through tubular strands of glass — which is how fiber-optic broadband works generally. But they tapped into a spectral band that has never been used in commercial systems, called "E-band," using new, custom-built devices.

The results of the test — which were conducted using the kind of fiber cables already laid in the ground — were published in March by the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), the scientists said in a statement. The team also presented the research at the European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC) in Glasgow in October 2023 — but the paper has not been made public.

A new frontier for fiber-optic connections

All commercial fiber-optic connections beam data through cables in the C-band and L-band portions of infrared in the electromagnetic spectrum — with the particular infrared region used for internet connections occupying a range of 1,260 to 1,675 nanometers (nm). For reference, visible light occupies wavelengths between approximately 400 nm and 700 nm on the spectrum.

C-band and L-band — which range between 1,530 nm and 1,625 nm — are commonly utilized in commercial connections because they're the most stable, meaning the least amount of data is lost during transmission. But the scientists speculated that one day the sheer volume of traffic will result in these two bands being congested — meaning additional transmission bands will be needed to increase capacity.

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