Anyone who uses a computer, especially at home, is probably already conscious of internet speeds. It is usual that for those living in more rural areas, the internet speed slows down and can keep the operator waiting ages for something to download or upload. So, I suppose that if I tell them that there is a fierce competition to set new world records for internet speeds, they may wonder why it has not reached them yet. This is why.
The latest record holders in 2025, although not confirmed yet, are a Japanese team who say they have exceeded the average US broadband speed by a factor of 4 million. They have achieved this by using optical fibres. That is not new. But what is new is that they have managed to reduce 19 fibres into the width of one present fibre. The width of such a fibre is five- thousandths of one inch. That is pretty small.
By combining an additional 18 fibres, it means that vastly more data can be sent using the same infrastructure that already exists. The data figures are astonishing, being 125,000 gigabytes of data per second. It has been reported that at this speed, the entire Internet Archive could be downloaded in just four minutes. I think I would need a bigger memory stick!
The further data has to be sent the more is lost due to the distance. So, this method allows faster data over longer distances without any degradation to speed or other factors. The Japanese team sent their data at the speed of 125,000 gigabytes per second over a distance of 1,120 miles. Over the next years and beyond, data traffic is set to increase enormously, so Faster data traffic, with more capacity and less loss will be something the world is going to need. I do not know though, how long it will take to reach those in rural areas.
John Pullen 