Japan breaks the world record for internet speed: able to download all of Netflix in one second

In a world where the internet has become almost as essential as water or food, proper network performance is crucial. Having a poor Wi-Fi signal—a slow, laggy connection—is one of the worst things that can happen to you, but it's still quite common.

That's why researchers and developers are working to solve this problem. For example, we've already seen how Elon Musk launched his new satellite internet, which promises to give you access to the internet from anywhere in the world, including rural or inhospitable areas where internet access was previously impossible.

And now, we've just learned that researchers in Japan have achieved a historic milestone by setting the record for the world's fastest internet. Specifically, they successfully transmitted 1.02 petabits (1.02 x 10^6 GB) of data per second over a distance of 1,118 miles using an innovative 19-core optical fiber.

To put this into context, this would allow Netflix's entire library of movies, series, and documentaries to be downloaded in a matter of a second. But this isn't just a world record; it also lays the groundwork for a future where data streaming can meet the demands of AI, virtual reality, and other new technologies , notes Interesting Engineering.

The fastest internet transmission has always been via optical fiber, and in fact, speeds of petabits per second have been achieved in the past, but only over short distances. What's groundbreaking in this case is that the signal strength has been maintained over long distances , overcoming obstacles such as signal degradation and interference.

To this end, the Japanese team has solved this problem by designing a 19-core optical fiber that significantly increases data transmission capacity without increasing the fiber diameter. It's a feat similar to converting a single-lane highway into a 19-lane superhighway , which multiplies the data flow, and since each of these cores is independent , interference is minimized and efficiency is maximized.

For now, this technology isn't available to the general public, but we should still be pleased with this achievement, as this innovation promises to make ultra-high-speed networks possible without having to modify the dimensions of existing infrastructure , which will facilitate its implementation in the real world.