Fibre optic connectivity is now reaching unprecedented speeds. Thanks to the work of researchers from Aston University, a previously untapped spectral band has been able to transfer 301 terabits of data per second. These findings are a stark jump from what is already available to broadband users today, with the world’s fastest average broadband speeds recorded at only 264 Mbps in Singapore.
In the United Kingdom, the average is even lower at 69 Mbps. The team that handled the unfathomably fast data transfer made use of the very same fibre optic connectivity tapped into by most of the world today. The difference is in how they harness wavelength bands that haven’t been utilised before.
Achieving Faster Speeds on Fibre Optic
With just a single optical fibre, the researchers hit speeds 4.5 million times faster than the average home. The researchers were able to achieve this by creating a stable E-band transmission. This is a feat that was previously unheard of but has now proven to be capable of such massive leaps in transfer speed.
To enable the transmission at this level without data loss, the team used optical amplifiers and gain equalisers. These changes let them open up new wavelength bands and then control them. With balanced control, the researchers were able to establish a data transfer that was not unlike your regular internet, just magnified.
With more bands, you directly increase the capacity of the network. Essentially, it’s not just about improving the speed itself. It’s also about maximising the potential of unused wavelengths to avoid congestion. With added space for more devices, everyone gets access to rapid and reliable connectivity.
Although this new connection has yet to be implemented for commercial use, there’s no doubt that this will be the next step in the advancement of broadband internet. The implications of this new connection for interconnectivity, smart devices, and data consumption are boundless and exciting at this point.
Fibre as We Know It
To understand the impact of this discovery, it’s crucial to know how regular fibre optic cables work. Initially, we used copper for our signals. Copper cables are limited by the speed at which electrons travel, reaching only about 10 gigabits per second for a distance of 100 metres.
On the other hand, fibre cables can contain a number of thin, transparent, and flexible glass fibres—up to a couple hundred— with another insulating glass layer surrounding this glass fibre core. They can carry more data using light (rather than electrons) at around 60 terabits per second up to 25 miles; they are also more reliable compared to copper, as copper cables are susceptible to interference and electrical surges. Moreover, copper cables are much heavier to install and are potential fire hazards.
The fibre optic bands we most commonly see commercially are the C-band and L-band. Thanks to these glass strands and light transmission, connections carried over by these bands are much faster and more stable than cable or Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL). Because of this reliability, fibre has become the standard for both residential and business use.
As mentioned earlier, fibre can also cover long distances without loss, which leads to consistently strong service. Full fibre broadband packages take this a step further; instead of using the traditional copper cable for the final part of the connection, full fibre connects optic cables directly to subscribers’ homes instead of street cabinets just working as a thoroughfare. By continuing the optic-able connection after the street cabinet instead of the traditional copper cable, average home users can use more bandwidth.
Because of this, internet service providers are now able to offer up to 2000 Mbps with symmetrical speeds for broadband users. This means that a full fibre installation will allow you to have equal download and upload speeds. For companies using a fibre business broadband, this symmetrical speed ensures stable cloud storage functionality and team connectivity, so your business can stay productive and profitable.
The move past copper connections is an advancement that benefits businesses and multi-family households the most. In an age with multiple devices needing one source of connectivity, full fibre ensures that there is no dropout or lag. Even with the comparatively limited bands that average users have access to, fibre optic connections are better than 5G technology, which is already capable of extremely low latency. 5G alone has made mobile downloads go up to one hundred times faster.
The Future of Fibre
There is no doubt that further development and stabilisation of this technology will only serve to improve data transfers in the long run. It’s also an advancement that has come just in the nick of time, with society continuing to increase its data usage significantly.
Consider how people created 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day in 2021. By 2025, more than 200 zettabytes of data are going to be in the cloud globally, which requires us to beef up how quickly with upload and download information. It’s a good thing the researchers at Aston are on the case.
