Chinese researchers set data transfer speed record: 3.2 petabits per second

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Chinese researchers report 3.2 Pb/s transmission across a 24-core optical fiber

Spatial division multiplexing carries separate data streams through one fiber

S+C+L transmission uses three wavelength bands to carry information

Researchers in China say they have transmitted data at 3.2 Pb/s through a 24-core optical fiber, setting a new real-time speed record.

At that capacity, data equivalent to thousands of ultra-high-definition films could theoretically move through the connection in just one second.

The new figure exceeds the team's previous 2.5 Pb/s record, set earlier this year using similar 24-core fiber technology.

How the researchers reached 3.2 Pb/s

The project brought together specialists from the National Key Laboratory of Optical Communication Technology, China Information and Communication Technologies Group, Pengcheng Laboratory, and Fiberhome Fujikura Fiber Optic Technology.

Their system combined spatial division multiplexing with S+C+L multi-band transmission, two methods intended to increase information carried through existing optical infrastructure networks.

Spatial division multiplexing separates information into distinct channels within one fiber, allowing multiple independent data streams to travel simultaneously through the cable.

The S, C and L bands use different wavelength ranges, enabling transmission across a wider section of the optical spectrum.

Combining the techniques created engineering difficulties, particularly interference between neighbouring channels carrying simultaneous signals through the fibre network and equipment.

The team also had to manage differing specifications across the three wavelength bands without allowing those variations to undermine transmission performance.

The test hit record figures with hardware architectures described as compliant with commercial requirements and operated continuously in real time.

That operating condition distinguishes the result from demonstrations relying on experimental equipment or signal-processing arrangements developed specifically for laboratory research.

The Hubei provincial government website compared the capacity with internet access for approximately 3.2 million households using separate 1 Gbps connections simultaneously.

The report describes the rate as sufficient to download “more than 20,000 4K movies” within one second, under ideal conditions.

These comparisons describe theoretical network capacity, rather than evidence that individual households could receive such speeds through ordinary broadband subscriptions.

The gap between commercial hardware and laboratory records

The new figure does not represent the highest speed reported for transmission through a 24-core optical fibre.

Laboratory research has reached 5.29 Pb/s using comparable multi-core fiber, exceeding the Chinese group's latest result by over two petabits.

Those experiments, however, may depend on advanced processing methods and specialist laboratory equipment that remain unsuitable for routine network deployment.

The Chinese group’s reported use of commercially compliant hardware is a significant feature of its claim, although it does not establish immediate commercial availability.

A successful real-time demonstration alone cannot confirm long-term reliability, affordable operation or compatibility with existing telecommunications infrastructure under demanding operating conditions.

At the moment, there is no official deployment schedule, pricing information or independent assessment of performance during sustained operation under everyday network conditions.

Thus, there is no certainty that the technology can move beyond controlled testing into dependable telecommunications networks serving customers at scale.

However, the research has shown that combining multiple fiber channels and wavelength bands can deliver substantial capacity under practical test conditions.

Via Tom's Hardware