Chinese researchers have achieved a data transmission speed of 3.2 petabits per second across a 10.3 kilometer optical cable, setting a new world record for bidirectional transfer. The system uses a 24 core fiber line capable of sending more than 20000 4K movies in 1 second. Detailed by Science and Technology Daily, the findings have been submitted to the Journal of Lightwave Technology for formal review.
Engineers achieved the speed boost by combining spatial multiplexing with wavelength division multiplexing across the S, C, and L spectral bands. This layout opens thousands of parallel data channels simultaneously. The setup uses commercial coherent optical modules alongside custom signal modulation, while optimized spacing between the 24 internal cores prevents signal interference.
Standard single core G.652 optical cables operating on C and L bands usually top out at roughly 100 terabits per second. This new architecture delivers a 32 fold increase in total throughput. Individual wavelength tests reached 400 gigabits per second within the S band and 1.2 terabits per second in the C and L bands.
The technology targets high demand networking environments including data center links, telecommunication backbone cables, and upcoming 6G network infrastructure. Rapid data growth continues to push existing cables to capacity, making multi core optical systems a practical path forward for internet infrastructure.
