Faster than the Fastest
Research conducted by Nokia Bell Labs, in tandem with the Technical University of Munich and Deutsche Telekom T-Labs, just recorded internet speeds faster than America's fastest internet providers. They claim to have reached up to 1 Terabit per second (Tbps) of internet speed, which tops Google's Fiber 1000 fold, and leaves Verizon Fios in the dust.
If you can't visualize how fast this means, let's put it in perspective.
Currently, Google's Fiber is the fastest internet service in the US, with speeds topping one Gbps. That is really fast, although it is only available in limited areas. Verizon Fios, the second fastest internet service in America, has plans offering speeds of up to 500 Mbps.
According to Tech Times, 1 Tbps translates to downloading the entire Game of Thrones series in just one second, and all in HD. Now that's fast.
Nokia's developmental technology can make both services feel like dial-up internet.
The Answer to Internet Demands?
The researchers used a previously lab-tested technique called Probabilistic Constellation Shaping (PCS), running on a regular fiber connection. "The trial of the novel modulation approach, known as [PCS], uses quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) formats to achieve higher transmission capacity over a given channel to significantly improve the spectral efficiency of optical communications," according to Nokia.
Now, Nokia was able to conduct the same test outside of a lab, and it was successful. It was conducted on a round trip between several German cities — Stuttgart to Darmstadt, and Nuremburg to Stuttgart — and the results reached 1 Tbps, according to a Nokia spokesperson, speaking to ZDNet. Meanwhile, the same test reached 0.8 Tbps between Berlin and Stuttgart.
This uber fast internet heralds a new era. It may be the answer to the ever increasing demand for speed due to the growing variety of internet usage — the Internet of Things, self-driving cars, and other technology that require almost immediate response time.
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