The sky is the limit, but when it comes to internet speed, Japan seems to think that the speed of light is the new limit. In the latest development, researchers have made a breakthrough that shifts the digital age into the 22nd century. By using light, the conventional internet has been left in the dust, with speeds 4 million times faster achieved. But what does this mean for the rest of the world?
A new era for the digital age
As of the mid-20th century, the digital age, often referred to as the “information age,” was born. However, in the last decade, there has been a significant shift towards even greater advancement in the technologies associated with this age, even hinting at a new era known as the “intelligent age.” This age, or era, is centered on advancement in intelligent technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and automation.
Researchers worldwide have made valuable contributions to this age, making breakthroughs beyond our wildest imaginations, making digital tools essential across sectors such as education, health, and finance. One of the greatest foundational tools in the digital age is the internet. Since its origin in the 1960s, the internet has rapidly evolved, and most recently, researchers have been breaking internet records.
Now, the internet could be changing globally soon, especially as it reaches new heights in distances and speeds.
Japan bids goodbye to the conventional internet
Digitalization has impacted several sectors, and even the upstream sector could not avoid the need to adopt the industrial internet. As a result, data centers have rapidly increased in numbers, especially as AI is becoming more evolved and central to daily life. The greatest challenge of this rapid expansion of advanced, smart technologies is that global data demands are at an all-time high.
This, in turn, places tremendous pressure on the communications infrastructure, and conventional internet no longer makes the cut. Fortunately, a research team led by Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) has proven that conventional internet could become a thing of the past sooner than initially anticipated.
Furthermore, the team’s research also proves that we may be ready for a new era of quantum data and communications.
Casting the light on a new era with a new record
In 2025, the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology confirmed that new records were achieved in internet speed and transmission distance. The research team transmitted 125,000 GB of data per second over 1,120 miles. Live Science explained that this new record is nearly 4,000,000 times higher than the U.S.’s average internet speed.
The speed of 125,000 GB, or now known as 1.02 petabits, will give the ability to download the entire Internet Archive in approximately four minutes, proving what can be achieved when great minds come together.
The secret to the research team’s success lies in the type of optical fiber used. A 19-core optical fiber (which consists of thin glass strands) was developed with a typical coating to increase the transmission rate. The team tested the signal in a 53.5-mile cable. Amplifiers were used to boost the optical signal (light) before it entered the cable, which traveled through a return loop 21 times, accounting for the 1,120 miles.
The team presented their research results during San Francisco’s annual Optical Fiber Communications Conference, making headlines for all the right reasons. While this research may not be the end of the conventional internet in its entirety, it does open the door to a new era of hybrid networks that use both conventional and quantum data collectively in existing infrastructure. This will be vital in protecting vital infrastructure and operations in the digital age.
