News

Japan Sets A New Internet Speed Record With 319 Terabits Per Second

That’s around 7.6 million times faster than the internet connection you probably have at home.

Published

5 years ago

October 2, 2021

David Morelo

japan sets a new internet speed record with 319 terabits per second

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Don’t you sometimes wish your internet speed was a bit faster when browsing the web, streaming online content, playing multiplayer games, or participating in a video conference? Most people do, including scientists at Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT). Recently, NICT set a new internet speed record when a group of its scientists successfully transferred data at 319 Terabits per second (Tbps) over a simulated 3,001-kilometer distance.

To put the record-breaking data transfer speed into perspective, the average fixed broadband download speed worldwide currently sits around 100 Mbps, which is around 3 million (yes, million) times slower. The new record is a significant achievement even as far as internet speed records go because it’s almost double the previous world record (179 Tbps), which was achieved by British and Japanese researchers in August 2020.

Transmitting data at such an unimaginably fast speed required plenty of innovation and cutting-edge technologies. Whereas typical fiber-optic cables have just one core designed for light transmission, the cable used by the team of Japanese researchers who set the new record had four cores. The transmitted data was fired using a 552-channel comb laser at multiple wavelengths and given a boost by rare earth amplifiers.

Since the entire test took place under laboratory conditions, you shouldn’t expect your local internet service provider to follow suit in the near future by implementing similar technologies due to their cost. The most likely real-world applications of the cutting-edge system involve high-speed backbone communication.

Also Read: Super Fast 6G Connectivity Is Closer Than You Think

“It is hoped that such fibers can enable practical high data-rate transmission in the near-term, contributing to the realization of the backbone communications system necessary for the spread of new communication services beyond 5G,” write NICT researchers.

Considering how much we’ve progressed since Caltech set its 186 Gbps internet speed record in 2011, we can’t help but imagine where we’ll be in another decade or two.

News

Syria Just Got Its First Super App Featuring Built-In Digital Payments

Built by UAE-based Syrian founders with the Ministry of Tourism’s backing, My Syria lands as visitor numbers more than double.

Published

5 days ago

August 1, 2026

Nour Nasir

syria just got its first super app featuring built-in digital payments

For most of the past decade, paying for anything in Syria with an international card was effectively impossible. Sanctions, a collapsed banking sector, and years of isolation left the country running on cash. That is what makes the launch of My Syria — the country’s first super app — more than a routine product announcement.

Developed by 121 Living, a company founded by four UAE-based Syrian entrepreneurs — Rami Kaiem, Feras Kaiem, Waseem Qudmani, and Kinan Madi — the app launched in Damascus on July 30 under the patronage of Minister of Tourism Mazen Al-Salhani. It bundles hotels, restaurants, transport, attractions, food delivery, and other lifestyle services into a single platform, currently offering eight services with plans to expand to more than 40 verified tourism and hospitality providers across the country.

Although the app already sounds enticing, the headline feature is its built-in payments. My Syria is the first platform in Syria to support cross-border digital payments through Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express — familiar tools for international visitors, and a route into the digital economy for local businesses that have long operated outside it.

my syria super app launch event

The launch rides on a sharp rebound for the troubled country. Syria’s tourism sector recorded 3.52 million visitor arrivals in the first half of 2026, a 111 percent increase over the 1.67 million during the same period in 2025 — a mix of returning expatriates, regional visitors, and international tourists.

Also Read: This UAE Platform Wants To Replace Fashion Photo Shoots With AI

The Ministry of Tourism, which supported and supervised the app’s development, frames the launch as proof of concept for a wider strategy. “Digital transformation is one of the Ministry’s strategic priorities because it enables us to build a more competitive, connected and investment-ready tourism sector,” Al-Salhani said, inviting technology companies “globally, regionally and locally” to explore opportunities across the wider economy.

For 121 Living, this is phase one, with additional services and expanded geographic coverage planned. Whether a super app can flourish in a market still rebuilding its infrastructure is an open question, but for the first time in years, a visitor to Damascus can pay for dinner with their phone.