Japanese researchers from the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) and Sumitomo Electric Industries have shattered the world record for internet speed, achieving an unprecedented 1.02 petabits per second data transmission over a distance of 1,808 kilometers—equivalent to the distance from Berlin to Naples or Missouri to Montana.
This revolutionary breakthrough was accomplished using a specially designed 19-core optical fiber with a standard 0.125mm cladding diameter, making it compatible with existing infrastructure while delivering transmission speeds that are 26 times greater than Japan's total fixed broadband internet download traffic as of November 2024.
The astonishing speed of 1.02 petabits per second translates to over one million gigabytes per second, theoretically capable of downloading Netflix's entire catalog 30 times over in just one second, representing a quantum leap in optical fiber communication technology.
This achievement marks the world's first successful petabit-class transmission over more than 1,000 kilometers using standard optical fiber, establishing a new benchmark for long-distance high-capacity data transmission that could revolutionize global internet infrastructure.
The breakthrough demonstrates cutting-edge progress toward beyond-5G communication systems and represents a significant milestone in addressing the ever-increasing demand for high-speed data transmission across continental distances in our increasingly connected digital world.
