International Team Achieves Unprecedented Data Speed Using Unused Fiber Optic BandsAston University Breakthrough: Data Transmitted 4.5 Million Times Faster Than Home Broadband. Credit: techxplore.com

A team of researchers from Aston University has successfully transmitted data at an astonishing speed that is 4.5 million times faster than the average home broadband. This breakthrough was made possible by utilizing new wavelength bands in fiber optic systems that were previously unused.

The international collaboration involved transferring data at a rate of 301 terabits or 301,000,000 megabits per second using a standard optical fiber. To put this into perspective, the average broadband speed in the UK, according to a report published by Ofcom in September 2023, is only 69.4 megabits per second.

Led by Professor Wladek Forysiak and Dr. Ian Phillips from the Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies, the team worked with researchers from the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology in Japan and Nokia Bell Labs in the U.S. to achieve this groundbreaking feat.

As the demand for high-speed data increases, this new technology is expected to help keep up with future demands. The team used optical fibers, which are small strands of glass that transmit information using light, as regular copper cables cannot handle such high speeds.

The researchers were able to achieve this incredible speed by tapping into previously unused wavelength bands in fiber optic systems. These different wavelength bands can be compared to different colors of light traveling down the optical fiber. To access these bands, the team developed new devices such as optical amplifiers and optical gain equalizers.

Dr. Phillips, who led the development of a management device, or optical processor, at Aston University, explained, "Essentially, the data was transmitted through the optical fiber just like a regular home or office internet connection. However, in addition to the commonly used C and L-bands, we also utilized two other spectral bands - E-band and S-band. These bands were not previously needed as the C and L-bands could meet the consumer's data needs."

Over the past few years, Aston University has been working on developing optical amplifiers that can operate in the E-band, which is about three times wider than the C-band. Prior to this, no one had been able to emulate the E-band channels in a controlled manner.

Professor Forysiak commented, "This experiment has the potential to greatly improve connections for end-users by increasing transmission capacity in the backbone network. It highlights the importance of advancing optical fiber technology in transforming communication networks for faster and more reliable data transmission."

He also noted that by utilizing more of the available spectrum, including unconventional bands like L, S, and E-bands, the cost of providing high bandwidth can be reduced. This is also a more environmentally friendly solution as it makes better use of the existing fiber network, prolonging its commercial value.

The results of this groundbreaking experiment were published by the Institute of Engineering and Technology this month and were presented at the European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC) in Glasgow in October 2023.

Ann Castro
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Ann Castro carries a total of 7 years experience in the healthcare domain. She owns a Master’s of Medicine Degree. She bagged numerous awards by contributing in the medical field with her ground-breaking notions. Ann has developed her own style of working and known for accuracy in her work. She loves trekking. She visits new places whenever she gets free time.