Ultra-fast connections are no longer just for cables. A new technological breakthrough promises to revolutionize broadband internet access. And this time, it's a simple ray of light that's breaking all records.
Today, the fastest connections rely on optical fiber, capable of reaching up to 10 Gb/s for the most high-end offers. Wi-Fi 7, currently being rolled out, promises 46 Gbps under optimal conditions. On the mobile network side, 5G rarely exceeds 2 Gbps in practice. This performance, while impressive, is not always sufficient to meet the growing demand for connected services. With the rise of home automation, autonomous vehicles, and smart cities, current infrastructure is already showing its limits, particularly in dense or poorly covered urban areas. Faced with these challenges, Dutch researchers have just reached a historic milestone. They have succeeded in transmitting very high-speed data over a distance of 4.6 kilometers, without cables or radio waves. Their solution is based on a beam of infrared light, capable of transporting a giant volume of information without interference.
This light beam transmits 1.9 million HD video streams per second without cables or interference
The experiment was conducted between two buildings in the city of Eindhoven, the Netherlands, using optical antennas designed by the company Aircision. These devices use free-space optical communication, a technique that allows data to circulate through the air using a light beam invisible to the naked eye. This system offers a double advantage: very high bandwidth and a total absence of interference with conventional wireless technologies. Even in an urban environment, the signal remains stable and ultra-fast.
The recorded throughput reached 5.7 terabits per second, the equivalent of 1.9 million HD videos streamed simultaneously. This record was achieved thanks to a permanent test bench called Reid Photonloop, capable of combining several wavelengths in a single beam. This innovation paves the way for concrete uses, such as connecting 5G or 6G antennas in areas where laying fiber is too complicated or expensive. It could also strengthen critical connections during disasters or in isolated regions.
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