Japan has officially smashed the global internet speed record, reaching a mind-blowing 1.02 petabits per second (Pbps) — that’s 1,000,000 Gbps! To put it in perspective, that’s fast enough to download the entire Netflix library in just one second. The breakthrough was achieved by Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) using a custom setup that involved 38-core optical fiber and advanced wavelength multiplexing technology.
This new record wasn’t just about speed, it showed how existing fiber infrastructure could be scaled massively without needing brand-new cables. By using multiple data streams and optimizing light signals over long distances (up to 51.7 km in tests), NICT proved that ultra-high-speed internet could become a reality for future 6G and beyond. The era of buffering may soon be history!
Photo credit: Unsplash